Virgin Galactic
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Virgin Galactic's ready to resume test flights to space
We've been waiting for Virgin Galactic to begin ferrying passengers to the edge of space for what seems like forever, but now it looks as if we might be getting close. CEO George Whitesides has announced that test-flights of the SpaceShipTwo are about to recommence, after spending almost all of 2014 rooted firmly to the ground. The hold-up was caused by the company's decision to switch to a different brand of rocket fuel that, while improving the vehicle's performance, forced the team to begin engine testing from scratch. Now that the necessary certifications have been granted, we can expect to hear much more from the company as it tries to make Sir Richard Branson's promise of flights in 2015 a reality.
UK plans to build first spaceport outside the US by 2018
The UK may not have the best history when it comes to space exploration, but that doesn't mean it's not interested in boldly going where only a few people have gone before. According to Sky News, Britain could play host to one of the first spaceports built outside of the US, with a shortlist of eight possible sites expected to be confirmed later this week. As it stands, six of the possible locations are in Scotland, suggesting places like Prestwick, Stornoway and Kinloss, with one in Wales (Llanbedr) and the other in England (Newquay). According to the report, construction could begin as early as 2018, although we're not sure what effect the Scottish Independence referendum would have on the plans. Still, we're loving the fact that any visiting aliens who've hitched a ride on a Virgin Galactic flight will be able to load up on Irn Bru or Teisen radell before heading back to space.
Google reportedly wants in on Virgin Galactic's space business
Fresh from its $500 million acquisition of satellite specialist Skybox Imaging, Google appears to be ready to make another space-related investment. Sky News reports that the search giant is in advanced talks to take a minority stake in Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic business (which already counted Skybox Imaging as a potential customer) with a view to getting its internet satellite project off the ground. Google may invest around $30 million into the company, which is set to begin commercial flights to space later this year, forming a joint venture that would see Virgin Galactic offer up its technology in return. Reports suggest Larry Page and co. are already preparing to build 180 small satellites that will be placed into a low orbit to provide internet connections to remote areas of the globe. That, coupled with the acquisition of drone maker Titan Aerospace, suggests Google is steadily moving forward with its space project. Virgin Galactic could provide the thrust, so-to-speak, helping get Google's satellites exactly where they need to be.
Virgin Galactic's space flights cleared for US blastoff
Virgin Galactic's plans to charter its first space flights by the end of the year have been given another huge boost after it got the green light to begin planning launches. The company, which is now deep in its testing phase, signed a deal with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help it set clear guidelines on how its missions will take place in US airspace. The agreement doesn't give Virgin a license to embark on regular trips to space (at least not yet), but instead paves the way for Richard Branson and co. to operate Galactic like a commercial airline.
Richard Branson's trying to track down the 80s kid who inspired Virgin Galactic (update: found!)
In 1988, a young chap by the name of Shihan Musafer rang BBC children's show Going Live to ask Richard Branson if he'd ever thought about travelling to space. "I'd love to go into space, as I think pretty well everybody watching this show would love to go to space," he eagerly replied. Turns out, that call 26 years ago served as the catalyst for Sir Richard to register the name Virgin Galactic, the company that's now on course to take well-moneyed civilians into outerspace later this year. To thank Shihan "for helping to inspire the idea," Branson's hoping to use the power of social to help track down the now grown-up Brit, so that he can personally invite him to get the VIP treatment while "witnessing a spaceflight." While that makes it sound like he's getting a free return ticket to the heavens, in fact he just gets to watch the rich and famous take off. So close. Update: According to the Virgin Galactic website "Thanks to everyone for your help in finding Shihan – the search is over and we've found him." There's no word on his status or a potential next step, we're still hoping there's a free ride in there somewhere.
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide 2013: For the Geek who has everything
Welcome to Engadget's holiday gift guide! Head back to our hub to see the rest of the product guides. We all know at least one of them: that borderline-annoying person who always seems to have the latest gadgets the moment they're announced. The Nexus 5 isn't going to cut it for such people; you'll need to think outside the box if you want to really impress them. Consider the ideas below -- from 3D-printing pens to a stunning e-motorcycle, these (probably) haven't found a place in your friends' lives just yet.
China launches Jade Rabbit rover, kicks off Chang'e 3 moon mission
China began stage one of its Chang'e 3 mission yesterday afternoon by launching a Long March 3B rocket toward the troposphere, destined for the moon. The Jade Rabbit, a robotic rover, managed to hop along for the ride with intentions of roaming our rocky satellite's surfaces. Lunar touchdown is scheduled for December 14th, which marks the first time a craft will settle down on the ole' ball of cheese since the Soviet's Luna 24 mission in 1976. Between Virgin Galactic and the Google-backed Lunar X Prize competition, traveling throughout the universe may finally be less of a science fiction fantasy and more of an everyday reality -- one that China isn't ignoring. According to the deputy engineer-in-chief in charge of the second phase of China's lunar program, Sun Huixian, "China's space exploration will not stop at the moon... Our target is deep space."
Virgin Galactic now accepting Bitcoin for future flights into space
As the value and credibility of Bitcoin continues to skyrocket, Virgin founder Richard Branson now wants to let people use the digital currency to finance a flight into space. Ahead of its first trips next year, Virgin Galactic has already had one "future astronaut" from Hawaii book a Bitcoin-funded ticket and hopes that its affluent clientele will follow suit. An investor himself, Branson has been pushing for governments to regulate the peer-to-peer payment system and believes that today's announcement will give it more credibility. Neither Virgin Galactic nor Branson has indicated just how many Bitcoins you'll need before you get a return ticket to the heavens, but we suspect this isn't the future that Gene Roddenberry was planning.
Richard Branson confirms Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight will launch next year with him on board
Richard Branson has long said that he'd be on board Virgin Galactic's first commercial space tourism flight, and he's now confirmed that will take place sometime next year with his two adult children along for the ride (a bit of a delay from the company's original 2011 target). That trip will of course be made with the company's SpaceShipTwo craft, which has already completed a number of test flights, and which is capable of flying 100 kilometers (or just over 60 miles) above the Earth for a planned two and a half hour flight with five minutes of weightlessness. As the AP notes, some 529 people have already signed up for the $200,000 per person rides into space, each of whom will have to take part in a week of training prior to their trip. Bookings can still be made on Virgin Galactic's website.
Virgin Galactic unveils LauncherOne satellite vehicle
Building a satellite, that's not really much of a problem anymore. Getting them launched, well, that's what separates the big boys from the wannabes. Virgin's Richard Branson believes he has the answer to that -- LauncherOne. The delivery system for Earth orbiters is based around the WhiteKnightTwo, the same launch platform used by SpaceShipTwo to reach its sub-orbital heights. The tube-like rocket of the LauncherOne is carried up to 50,000 feet by its mother ship, before detaching and initiating its two-stage rocket engines. The current design is capable of delivering 500-pound payloads into Low Earth Orbit, while lighter satellites of 225 pounds could reach Sun-Synchronous Low Earth Orbit. Virgin Galactic says it has already signed up its first customers, including SkyBox Imaging and GeoOptics. Sadly, there's no word on when or how much it'll cost to get the spy satellite you built in your backyard placed in the heavens. Check out the video and the PR after the break. Update: We now know another of Virgin Galactic's customers. Asteroid mining startup Planetary Resources has announced that it will "launch several constellations of Arkyd-100 Series spacecraft in the coming years aboard LauncherOne."
FAA grants Virgin Galactic permit for powered tests, becomes Sir Richard's BFF
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 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?
Inhabitat's Week in Green: quantum levitation, Zombie-Powered Vertical Farm and Macquariums
Alternative transportation blasted off into the future this week as DeLorean revealed plans to launch an all-electric vehicle in 2013 and Richard Branson announced the official opening of the Virgin Galactic Gateway spaceport. Researchers also developed a next-gen quantum levitation technology that could lead to floating vehicles, and we spotted a cloud concept blimp that soars through the skies. We also brought you an exclusive interview with Revenge of the Electric Car director Chris Paine, and we shared a leaked brochure with specs on Toyota's new Prius C. Renewable energy also rocketed towards a more sustainable tomorrow as Japan's team Tokai took first place in the World Solar Challenge and Apple filed a set of patents for next-generation solar technology. Meanwhile Facebook announced plans to launch a new energy efficiency app in 2012 and we launched a contest where you can win one of 25 $600 home energy audits. We also showcased a stunning set of satellite photos of the world's power lines, and since Halloween is on its way, we brought you a Zombie-Powered Vertical Farm designed to keep its inhabitants safe from the Living Dead. Speaking of Halloween, this week we shared instructions for making a DIY cardboard box robot costume, and we launched our 2011 Green Halloween Costume Contest for kids. We also brought you several developments from the realm of eco textiles -- a material that repairs its own rips and tears and a Japanese company that recycles old bras into power-generating fuel. Finally, we showcased several slick developments in aqueous technology: an oil skimmer that cleans up spills four times faster, an artificial muscle that could one day propel nanobots through the body, and a quirky set of 'Macquariums' made from Apple iMacs.
Virgin Galactic, XCOR land suborbital contracts with NASA
Have $200,000 to spare for a ticket to space? NASA does, apparently, a few times over. Following the retirement of its Space Shuttle program, the US agency just announced two-year contracts with seven space flight companies, worth a combined $10 million. NASA will partner with Virgin Galactic, XCOR, and five other companies to bring engineers, scientists, and equipment to space, for a variety of experiments in low-gravity environments. The contract provides few financial implications for Virgin, which has already collected $55 million in deposits from future space tourists, but the company did acknowledge it as an "important milestone" in its efforts to grow beyond initial consumer offerings. Space Adventures, which serves as a low-cost carrier of sorts in the industry with its $102,000 flight, may be represented as well, through its partner Armadillo Aerospace -- so it's probably safe to assume that NASA won't be paying two large huge a pop to blast its personnel to space.
First commercial spaceport christens inaugural runway in New Mexico desert (video)
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!
Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise completes first solo glide flight
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).
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo completes first flight with crew on board
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.
Space Adventures undercuts Virgin Galactic -- announces $100,000 space tourism flight
Space tourism is something we here at Engadget have always been pretty fond of in theory -- it is the final frontier, after all -- but the prohibitive (exorbitant, extravagant, ridiculous) $200,000 price tag on a Virgin Galactic flight pretty much ended any small hopes we ever harbored of getting on one. So, would a reduction of about 50 percent be enough to get us to sign up? That's the question that Virginia-based Space Adventures is asking. The company's just announced it's going to offer flights into suborbital space through an exclusive agreement with Armadillo Aerospace, which is currently developing the rockets for the journeys. A trip with Space Adventures is set to cost just $102,000. We still can't afford it, but we're certainly glad to see the prices fall from insane to outrageous. So, what about you? Are you in?
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo completes maiden flight (now with video!)
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.
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo: the video unveiling
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 reveals SpaceShipTwo, plans commercial space flights in 2011
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!
