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First commercial spaceport christens inaugural runway in New Mexico desert (video)

Sean Hollister — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 17:33:00 EST

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo won't have to taxi down public runways for much longer. Today, founder Richard Branson and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson cut the ribbon at a nearly two-mile long runway for the world's first commercial spaceport. While the rest of the facilities at New Mexico's Spaceport America are still under construction and Branson estimates sub-orbital launches are still nine to eighteen months away, the 42-inch-thick strip of pavement is definitely complete -- see the WhiteKnightTwo mothership come in for a landing right after the break.

Update: Our best pals over at Gadling got a few exclusive interview snippets in their own video!

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First commercial spaceport christens inaugural runway in New Mexico desert (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Oct 2010 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo completes maiden flight (now with video!)

Joseph L. Flatley — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:43:00 EST

Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise suborbital aircraft made its first captive carry test flight yesterday in Mojave, California. As shown in the above photo (courtesy of Mark Greenberg), the craft remained attached to the VMS Eve mothership for the entirety of its 2 hour and 54 minute flight, reaching an altitude of 45,000 feet in the process. If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft -- which we first peeped in December -- will start commercial operations late next year. Looks like it's time to start saving up those Velocity Points, kids! In the meantime, check out CNET's gallery of shots from the flight by hitting that ever lovin' source link.

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Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo completes maiden flight (now with video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo: the video unveiling

Darren Murph — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:15:00 EST

You've already engrossed yourself in the media reports stemming from Mojave Spaceport, but if you've been hunting high and low for a few good frames of the SpaceShipTwo unveiling, look no further. Our homeslices over at Gadling were on hand for the event, and they did the honors of filming the introduction as well as the craft's first public movements. Hit that source link for a look, and be sure to check your pulse if you aren't feeling inspired when the credits roll.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo: the video unveiling originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Galactic reveals SpaceShipTwo, plans commercial space flights in 2011

Darren Murph — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:57:00 EST

We've been waiting an awful long time for this day to come, and now we're doing our darndest to rush away 2010. Today, Sir Richard Branson officially took the wraps off of a spacecraft that we initially peeked back in June of 2008: the SpaceShipTwo. Designed to hold six passengers and two pilots, this magnificent craft will reportedly be ready to ship wealthy tourists into space as early as 2011. Reportedly, the craft will be taken up to launch altitude by the WhiteKnightTwo, after which the 2.5 hour tour will take patrons high enough to experience around 5 minutes of weightlessness. Of course, the ship still has an awful lot of regulatory passing to do, and the Spaceport America in New Mexico still has to be built, but it's nothing short of fantastic to see the wheels turning in the right direction. Just think -- you can finally tell you kid that an aeronautical engineering degree isn't required to leave the atmosphere. Future, we heart thee.

P.S. - Peek that MSNBC link for the unveiling shots!

Virgin Galactic reveals SpaceShipTwo, plans commercial space flights in 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo caught mid-flight on video

Ross Miller — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:23:00 EST

In case you were wondering if Virgin Galactic's efforts at space tourism are still going strong, the company's released new footage from a recent test flight of its WhiteKnightTwo near its Mojave headquarters. Much longer and higher res than the last bit of video we had, it also provides some new aerial shots of it mid-flight. The craft's public debut will be a fly over at the Virgin Galactic Spaceport America groundbreaking ceremony next month, so until then, navigate your browser to after the break for the feature presentation.

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Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo caught mid-flight on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 May 2009 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo successfully completes brief maiden flight

Darren Murph — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:40:00 EST

It was short and mildly sweet, but Virgin Galactic has a lot to be relieved about. The outfit -- which is vigorously attempting to make space tourism a reality for the affluent -- saw its long-awaited WhiteKnightTwo craft complete an hour long maiden flight above its Mojave headquarters. If you'll recall, we were expecting the craft to take flight in September, though we can't say that a three month delay is all that unforgivable given the nature of the task. We suspect Buzz Lightyear would have an excellent closer for this one, so we'll just let you all imagine what quip he'd share.

[Via Slashdot]

Update: Video just surfaced of the WhiteKnightTwo up to its chivalrous antics, including landing and takeoff. No loop de loops or interstellar travel, sadly.

[Thanks, Disco Stu]

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Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo successfully completes brief maiden flight originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo spaceship carrier gets unveiled

Donald Melanson — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:10:00 EST

It looks like the Mojave Desert is once again the center of the private space industry, with Richard Branson and crew on hand to unveil Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo spaceship carrier as promised. This craft (only the first of more that are promised) has been named EVE (after Branson's mother) and, with a 140-foot wingspan, it's apparently now officially the largest all carbon-composite aircraft ever made. Eventually, it'll be used to help carry the yet-to-be-completed SpaceShipTwo craft in orbit although, as Burt Rutan himself tells Space.com, that's still a little ways off, with him saying that while could be ready to go after just 40 tests flights, they'll likely do a few more than that for good measure. Head on past the break for a few more pics.

Read - Space.com, "Virgin Galactic Unveils Space Liner Mothership "
Read - Wired Science, "First Look at Virgin Galactic's New Mothership, WhiteKnightTwo"

Continue reading Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo spaceship carrier gets unveiled

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Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo spaceship carrier gets unveiled originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WhiteKnightTwo to be unveiled on Monday, space to seem less far away

Darren Murph — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:23:00 EST

Hold onto your dollar bills, y'all -- the WhiteKnightTwo is set to be unveiled (and swooned over) on Monday. We knew the fabled space tourism vehicle was set to be unwrapped this month, but knowing that said event is merely hours away just gets our juices flowin'. Richard Branson and "other dignitaries" are preparing to officially launch the ship at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California (a short drive from Zzyzx, we hear), and we're still being led to believe that test flights should begin as early as this fall. Hey, at least you know what you're doing next year if your ship comes in.

[Via The Register]

Filed under: Transportation

WhiteKnightTwo to be unveiled on Monday, space to seem less far away originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WhiteKnightTwo scheduled to rollout in July, fly in September

Joshua Fruhlinger — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:25:00 EST

While much of the attention surrounding Virgin Galactic's race to space tourism has surrounded its SpaceShipTwo, word has come that carrier ship WhiteKnightTwo will rollout in late July, and after some ground tests, take to the skies by September. With this rollout come some new details about the composite, twin-boom mothership, which Virgin Galactic is selling as an "open architecture" that they are clearly open to pimping for other applications. Says Prez Will Whitehorn, "WhiteKnightTwo is the world's most advanced payload carrier. It has the best fuel efficiency of any aircraft ever built in history. It is the world's first 100% carbon composite aircraft." They are even looking into using WhiteKnightTwo as a forest fire water bomber with its payload capacity. Nonetheless, we care because the giant ship that will carry rich people to space at $200,000 a pop is going to be flying by September. Press passes please?

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WhiteKnightTwo scheduled to rollout in July, fly in September originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SpaceShipTwo, White Knight Two designs unveiled: aren't they cute?

Evan Blass — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:20:00 EST

As expected, Sir Richard Branson has just unveiled the final designs of SpaceShipTwo and White Knight Two, Virgin Galactic's planned commercial "spaceliner" and its corresponding carrier plane. At today's American Museum of Natural History launch event, Branson once again reiterated his lofty expectations for space tech in general and the six-passenger vehicle in particular, promising to promote privatization and more widespread research by offering outside organizations access to its launch system schematics. So far, Virgin has reportedly signed up 200 committed passengers willing to pay $200,000 for a 2010-or-later suborbital flight, but for now, all they can do is look at the pretty pictures in the gallery below.

Gallery: SpaceShipTwo, White Knight Two designs unveiled

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SpaceShipTwo, White Knight Two designs unveiled: aren't they cute? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scaled Composites to unveil the SpaceShipTwo on January 23rd?

Nilay Patel — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:20:00 EST

It's been just a few months since a test of an experimental motor for Scaled Composites' SpaceShipTwo passenger space vehicles caused a deadly explosion at the company's Mojave Desert facility, but we're hearing whispers today that the craft will be unveiled on January 23rd, along with the WhiteKnightTwo carrier plane. Testing of the six-person ship will apparently start in mid-2008, with the first commercial Virgin Galactic flight tentatively scheduled for the end of 2009. That seems hopelessly optimistic to us, but then again, we're not ones to doubt the awesome combined powers of Burt Rutan and Richard Branson.

Filed under: Transportation

Scaled Composites to unveil the SpaceShipTwo on January 23rd? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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