Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[FAA grants Virgin Galactic permit for powered tests, becomes Sir Richard's BFF]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/31/virgin-galactic-faa-permit-powered-test/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/31/virgin-galactic-faa-permit-powered-test/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/31/virgin-galactic-faa-permit-powered-test/#comments http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/31/virgin-galactic-faa-permit-powered-test/

Virgin Galactic is one step closer to relieving WhiteKnightTwo of its babysitting gig. The FAA has given the Branson bunch permission to switch on SpaceShipTwo's rocket-powered motors mid-flight. The upcoming trials could open up the doors to getting at least 500 lucky people total ballers out of the Mojave Desert and into the weightless environment of suborbital space. Current regulations call for more testing than back in 2004 when SpaceShipOne first achieved manned spaceflight, but they're worthwhile if past problems are prevented. What do you think will come first: frequent space-flyer miles, or Virgin Pure T6s and T7s in every home?

FAA grants Virgin Galactic permit for powered tests, becomes Sir Richard's BFF originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 19:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>richard bransonRichardBransonsir richard bransonSirRichardBransonspace ship 2space ship twospaceship 2Spaceship2spaceshiptwovirginvirgin galacticVirginGalacticwhite knightwhite night 2WhiteKnightWhiteNight2whitenighttwoThu, 31 May 2012 19:14:00 EST<![CDATA[First commercial spaceport christens inaugural runway in New Mexico desert (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/23/first-commercial-spaceport-christens-inaugural-runway-in-new-mex/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/23/first-commercial-spaceport-christens-inaugural-runway-in-new-mex/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/23/first-commercial-spaceport-christens-inaugural-runway-in-new-mex/#comments 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!

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

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Bill RichardsonBillRichardsoncommercial space flightcommercial space travelcommercial spaceflightCommercialSpaceFlightCommercialSpaceTravelNew MexicoNewMexicoNMRichard BransonRichardBransonspaceflightspaceportSpaceport AmericaSpaceportAmericaspaceshiptwovideovirginVirgin GalacticVirginGalacticWhiteKnightTwoSat, 23 Oct 2010 17:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise completes first solo glide flight]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/11/virgin-galactics-vss-enterprise-completes-first-solo-glide-flig/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/11/virgin-galactics-vss-enterprise-completes-first-solo-glide-flig/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/11/virgin-galactics-vss-enterprise-completes-first-solo-glide-flig/#comments
It completed its first flight with a crew on board back in July, and Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise (a.k.a. SpaceShipTwo) has now crossed what's unquestionably its biggest hurdle to date: the first solo glide flight. That happened early Sunday morning at the Mojave Air and Spaceport in California, where the VSS Enterprise took off attached to the mothership and then separated at an altitude of 45,000 feet, after which it was freely piloted by Pete Siebold and co-pilot Mike Alsbury for a full eleven minutes before safely landing on the runway (another first for the spaceship). Oh yeah, there's a video -- head on past the break to check it out (along with the official press release).

Continue reading Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise completes first solo glide flight

Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise completes first solo glide flight originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>glide flightGlideFlightsolo glide flightSoloGlideFlightspacespaceshiptwotest flightTestFlightvideovirginvirgin galacticVirginGalacticvss enterpriseVssEnterpriseMon, 11 Oct 2010 14:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo completes first flight with crew on board]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-completes-first-flight-with-crew/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-completes-first-flight-with-crew/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-completes-first-flight-with-crew/#comments It still has a few more key hurdles to cross, but it looks like Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo (a.k.a. the VSS Enterprise) is remaining on track for its first commercial flight sometime next year. The latest milestone is the spacecraft's first flight with a crew on board, which occurred on July 15th at Virgin Galactic's usual base of operations, the Mojave Air and Space Port. As with previous flights, however, SpaceShipTwo remained attached to the VMS Eve "mothership" for the duration of the flight, but it did stay aloft for more than six hours as the crew (including test pilots Peter Siebold, Michael Alsbury) went through a range of tests. Still no word on exactly when SpaceShipTwo will see its first solo flight but, barring any change in plans, that should be the next flight that takes place.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo completes first flight with crew on board originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>spacespace flightspace tourismspace travelspacecraftSpaceFlightspaceshiptwoSpaceTourismSpaceTraveltest flightTestFlightvirginvirgin galacticVirginGalacticvms eveVmsEvevss enterpriseVssEnterpriseMon, 19 Jul 2010 05:52:00 EST<![CDATA[Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo completes maiden flight (now with video!)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-completes-maiden-flight/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-completes-maiden-flight/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-completes-maiden-flight/#comments
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.

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

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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aircraftgalaxyNew MexicoNewMexicoRichard BransonRichardBransonspacespace explorationspace travelspacecraftSpaceExplorationSpaceShipOneSpaceShipTwoSpaceTravelSS2testtest flightTestFlighttravelVirgin GalacticVirginGalacticVSS EnterpriseVssEnterpriseWhiteKnightTwoTue, 23 Mar 2010 13:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo: the video unveiling]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/10/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-the-video-unveiling/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/10/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-the-video-unveiling/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/10/virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-the-video-unveiling/#comments 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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aircraftgalaxyNew MexicoNewMexicoRichard BransonRichardBransonRutanspacespace explorationspace travelspacecraftSpaceExplorationSpaceShipOneSpaceShipTwoSpaceTravelSS2travelunveilingvideoVirgin GalacticVirginGalacticVMS EveVmsEveWhiteKnightTwoThu, 10 Dec 2009 17:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Virgin Galactic reveals SpaceShipTwo, plans commercial space flights in 2011]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/07/virgin-galactic-reveals-spaceshiptwo-plans-commercial-space-fli/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/07/virgin-galactic-reveals-spaceshiptwo-plans-commercial-space-fli/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/07/virgin-galactic-reveals-spaceshiptwo-plans-commercial-space-fli/#comments 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.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aircraftgalaxyNew MexicoNewMexicoRichard BransonRichardBransonRutanspacespace explorationspace travelspacecraftSpaceExplorationSpaceShipOnespaceshiptwoSpaceTravelSS2travelVirgin GalacticVirginGalacticVMS EveVmsEveWhiteKnightTwoMon, 07 Dec 2009 13:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo successfully completes brief maiden flight]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/22/virgin-galactics-whiteknighttwo-successfully-complete-brief-mai/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/22/virgin-galactics-whiteknighttwo-successfully-complete-brief-mai/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/22/virgin-galactics-whiteknighttwo-successfully-complete-brief-mai/#comments
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]

Continue reading Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo successfully completes brief maiden flight

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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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>galaxyspacespace tourismSpaceShipTwoSpaceTourismVirgin GalacticVirginGalacticWhiteKnightTwoMon, 22 Dec 2008 08:40:00 EST<![CDATA[First spy shot of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo surfaces]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/23/first-spy-shot-of-virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-surfaces/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/23/first-spy-shot-of-virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-surfaces/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/23/first-spy-shot-of-virgin-galactics-spaceshiptwo-surfaces/#comments
It's not often that we get to cover spy shots here at Engadget, but we're as giddy as school children about this one. The SpaceShipTwo design was officially rolled out in January, and if Flightglobal is to be believed, that image above is the first capture of the craft. Reportedly, the shot was taken in Mojave, California where the vehicle is being constructed at Scaled Composites. One step closer to the next big leap for mankind? Sure looks like it.

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First spy shot of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo surfaces originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>picturesneak peekSneakPeekSpaceShipTwospy shotSpyShotVirgin GalacticVirginGalacticMon, 23 Jun 2008 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[WhiteKnightTwo scheduled to rollout in July, fly in September]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/10/whiteknighttwo-scheduled-to-rollout-in-july-fly-in-september/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/10/whiteknighttwo-scheduled-to-rollout-in-july-fly-in-september/http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/10/whiteknighttwo-scheduled-to-rollout-in-july-fly-in-september/#commentsWhiteKnightTwo
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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bransonscaled compositesScaledCompositessir richard bransonSirRichardBransonspaceshiptwovirgin galacticVirginGalacticwhiteknighttwowill whitehornWillWhitehornTue, 10 Jun 2008 09:25:00 EST<![CDATA[SpaceShipTwo, White Knight Two designs unveiled: aren't they cute?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/23/spaceshiptwo-white-knight-two-designs-unveiled-arent-they-cut/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/23/spaceshiptwo-white-knight-two-designs-unveiled-arent-they-cut/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/23/spaceshiptwo-white-knight-two-designs-unveiled-arent-they-cut/#comments 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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>burt ruttanBurtRuttanscaled compositesScaledCompositessir richard bransonSirRichardBransonspace travelspaceshiptwoSpaceTravelvirgin galacticVirginGalacticwhite knight twoWhiteKnightTwoWed, 23 Jan 2008 16:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Scaled Composites to unveil the SpaceShipTwo on January 23rd?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/scaled-composites-to-unveil-the-spaceshiptwo-on-january-23rd/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/scaled-composites-to-unveil-the-spaceshiptwo-on-january-23rd/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/scaled-composites-to-unveil-the-spaceshiptwo-on-january-23rd/#comments
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.

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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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>scaled compositesScaledCompositesspace ship twoSpaceShipTwovirgin galacticVirginGalacticwhite knight twoWhiteKnightTwoFri, 04 Jan 2008 05:20:00 EST