Virgin Galactic

Infobox_Company
company_name = Virgin Galactic
company_
company_type = Private
company_slogan = Space is Virgin territory
foundation = 2004
location = New Mexico, USA
key_people = Richard Branson(UK)
Will Whitehorn
num_employees = 30
owner = Virgin Group
industry = Space tourism
homepage = [http://www.virgingalactic.com www.virgingalactic.com]

Virgin Galactic is a company within Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public. Further in the future Virgin Galactic plans to offer orbital spaceflights as well.

Mission

Virgin Galactic's mission is to fly passengers who are not professional astronauts to an altitude slightly over km to mi | 100 and allow them to experience weightlessness for up to 6 minutes. Although seats on the first flights have been sold at a premium (starting at US$200,000 for the first 100,citeweb |title = Virgin Galactic|url=http://www.virgingalactic.com/htmlsite/faq.php|publisher=virgingalactic.com|accessdate=2008-02-10] citeweb|title=Captain Kirk signs on for Virgin Galactic Space Ride|url=http://www.soultek.com/space_privatization/Virgin_Galactic_Captain_Kirk_and_spaceshipone.htm|publisher=soultek.com|accessdate=2008-02-14] ) after the first 500 passengers, seats will be booked with a deposit of US $20,000. According to Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn, the company had sold nearly 200 seats as of November 2007. [cite web | url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/339535_spacetourism14.html | title = Spaceflights now for sale; scary part is price | publisher = Seattle Post-Intelligencer | accessdate = 2007-11-14] The first passenger flight is planned for 2010.cite web | url=http://www.space.co.uk/DataBank/VideoGallery/VideoPlayer/tabid/384/VideoId/37/Will-Whitehorn-Virgin-Galactic-And-Heather-MacRae-Venture-Thinking-At-The-RAeS.aspx | publisher = space.co.uk | title=Will Whitehorn (Virgin Galactic) and Heather MacRae (Venture Thinking) at the RAeS | accessdate=2008-07-26]

Virgin Galactic is aiming to be the first space tourism company specializing in the provision of sub-orbital flights to the public. While orbital flights can be made by budding space tourists through the Russian Space Agency, there are presently no operational craft capable of sub-orbital flight aside from SpaceShipOne. However, EADS is currently working on a competing sub-orbital craft. Given that SpaceShipOne was designed for a very specific task, Virgin Galactic has commissioned Burt Rutan to design a newer, bigger and better version of his suborbital craft, called SpaceShipTwo. It is this eight seater craft, seating 2 pilots and 6 passengers, which will be used by Virgin Galactic passengers.

pacecraft

Development of SpaceShipTwo

After talks throughout 2004, on September 24 2004 Virgin Galactic signed a deal worth up to US$21 million with Mojave Aerospace Ventures to license the patents behind the Tier One project for purposes of space tourism. The deal was announced by Branson and Burt Rutan on September 27 2004 at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London. The initial plan is for Rutan to design and build five suborbital tourist craft based on a scaled-up version of SpaceShipOne. Construction began in 2005, with twelve to eighteen months of intensive testing (comprising at least 50-100 test flights) planned. Actual spaceflights for ordinary citizens are expected to begin on the SpaceShipTwo VSS Enterprise in Upham, New Mexico. It is unknown whether a recent explosion which took place at Scaled Composites will affect the date of the maiden flight.citeweb|title=OVERVIEW|url=http://www.virgingalactic.com/htmlsite/overview.php|publisher=virgingalactic.com|accessdate=2008-02-17 ] citeweb|title=Virgin Galactic Readies Tourist Spacecraft for 2009 Flights|url=http://spaceports.blogspot.com/2006/09/virgin-galactic-readies-tourist.html|publisher=spaceports.blogspot.com|accessdate=2008-02-17] Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites presented their SpaceShip Two on January 23, 2008. The required 50 test flights of SpaceShip Two, originally scheduled to begin in June 2008, [cite web |url= http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=10443 |title=Virgin Galactic Unveils First Spaceship |accessdate=2008-01-30 |last=Asher |first=Michael |date=January 23, 2008 |publisher=DailyTech ] are now planned to begin in 2009.

Richard Branson, on July 28, 2008, unveiled Scaled Composites WhiteKnightTwo "VMS Eve" at Scaled's Mojave Spaceport headquarters. Flight tests were set to begin in September 2008. [cite web |url=http://www.airventure.org/2008/news/080605_ss2.html |title=2008 AirVenture Oshkosh schedule |accessdate=2008-07-19] [cite web |url=http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/080606-virgin-mother.html |title=Virgin Galactic Spaceline: Mega-Mothership Set for Rollout Debut |accessdate=2008-06-10 |date=June 6, 2008 |author=Leonard David |publisher=SPACE.com] The launch customer of WhiteKnightTwo is Virgin Galactic, which will have the first 2 units, and exclusive rights to the craft for the first few years. Branson prophesied the maiden space voyage will take place in 18 months: "It represents... the chance for our ever-growing group of future astronauts and other scientists to see our world in a completely new light." Virgin Galactic contracted aerospace designer Burt Rutan to build the mothership and spacecraft. [citeweb|title=Branson unveils space tourism jet|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7529978.stm|publisher="BBC News"|accessdate=2008-08-12] [citeweb|title=Virgin Galactic rolls out SpaceShipTwo's 'mothership'|url=http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn14419-virgin-galactic-rolls-out-spaceshiptwos-mothership.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=tech3_head_Virgin%20Galactic%20rolls%20out%20SpaceShipTwo's%20'mothership'|publisher="New Scientist"|accessdate=2008-08-12]

General overview of the spacecraft flights

It is planned that the spacecraft are to be robust and affordable enough to take paying passengers. The craft is projected to be a six passenger, two pilot craft. It is planned to make suborbital flights, with a short period of weightlessness. At around 16 kilometers or 52,000 ft, the rocket will separate when the plane reaches its maximum height. The time from liftoff of the White Knight II booster carrying SpaceShipTwo until the touchdown of SpaceShipTwo after the suborbital flight will be about 2.5 hours. The suborbital flight itself will only be a small fraction of that time. The weightlessness will last approximately 6 minutes. Passengers will be able to release themselves from their seats during these 6 minutes and float around the cabin.

paceShipTwo's performance

SpaceShipTwo will fly a little higher than SpaceShipOne, to a height of 110 km in order to go beyond the defined boundary of space (100 km) and lengthen the experience of weightlessness. The spacecraft will reach around Mach 3 (1000 m/s), which is slightly faster than current fighter jets are capable of attaining, however the spacecraft will not be able to sustain that speed for long periods of time. To re-enter the atmosphere SpaceShipTwo folds its wings up, and then returns them to their original position for a smooth and gentle glide back onto the runway. The craft has a very limited cross-range capability and therefore has to land in the area where it started.

Bookings

Virgin Galactic already has $30 million in bookings for flights.Although the initial deposit is set to be $200,000 for the first 100 to fly, the next 400 will pay a deposit between $100,000 and $175,000; all passengers after that will pay a deposit of only $20,000 each.

Among those reported to have told Branson that they wished to be among the first to fly on the spacecraft are actor William Shatner,citeweb|title=Shatner aims for real 'Star Trek'|url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/10/22/branson.space/index.html|publisher=CNN|accessdate=2008-02-16] designer Philippe Starck,citeweb|title= Virgin Galactic Aims to Fly Passengers by 2008|url=http://www.space.com/news/ap_060718_virgin_update.html|publisher=space.com|accessdate=2008-02-16] former Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro,citeweb|title=Moby set to go into space|url=http://www.nme.com/news/moby/21800|publisher=nme.com|accessdate=2008-02-16] "Alien" star Sigourney Weaver,citeweb|title=Sigourney Weaver books flight with Virgin Galactic|url=http://www.theregister.com/2004/11/19/weaver_travels_to_space/|publisher=theregister.com|accessdate=2008-02-16] Hollywood director Bryan Singer, musician Moby, socialite Paris Hilton,citeweb|title=Branson Lets Virgin Atlantic Pilots Go Galactic|url=http://www.forbes.com/2006/04/03/virgin-atlantic-galactic-cx_po_0403autofacescan01.html|publisher=forbes.com|accessdate=2008-02-15] and astrophysicist Stephen Hawking (who on January 8, 2007 announced plans to take a sub-orbital flight in 2009).citeweb|title=Stephen Hawking hopes to go into space|url=http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2007-01-08-hawking-space_x.htm?csp=34|publisher=usatoday.com|accessdate=2008-02-15] Also, Richard Branson himself and some of his family members will be launched on the VSS Enterprise's first commercial flight in 2009, before everyone else.citeweb|title=Richard Branson - The Rebel Billionaire and the Ultimate Multipreneur|url=http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/famousentrepreneurs/p/richardbranson.htm|publisher=about.com|accessdate=2008-02-15] In 2006, Richard Branson offered actor William Shatner a free ride on the inaugural space launch in 2008, saving Shatner $200,000; however, Shatner turned it down, and said, "I do want to go up but I need guarantees I'll definitely come back".citeweb|title=Captain Kirk reveals he won't go boldly into space|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=403931&in_page_id=1773|publisher=dailymail.co.uk|accessdate=2008-02-15]

In March 2005, Doug Ramsberg, a native of Northglenn, Colorado, won a free trip to suborbital space aboard Virgin Galactic, from a Volvo sweepstakes sponsored by Virgin. [cite news | last = Spooner | first = John G. | title = From Colorado to outer space | publisher = C|net CNET.COM | work = Today on CNET | date = 2005-03-24 | url = http://news.com.com/From+Colorado+to+outer+space/2100-1041_3-5634316.html
accessdate = 2006-06-02 ] In September 2006, Alan Watts, a British businessman, indicated that he was able to redeem 2,000,000 frequent flyer miles for a ticket aboard a 2009 Virgin Galactic space flight. [cite news|url=http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060929-084812-6008r|title=London man uses air miles for space trip|date=September 29, 2006|publisher=United Press International]

Virgin Galactic confirmed in October 2008 that they had turned down an offer, received during the year's International Astronautical Congress, of $1 million from an unidentified party to shoot an adult movie on one of their flights. [citeweb|title=Virgin Galactic rejects $1 million space porn|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26991760/|publisher=msnbc.com|accessdate=2008-10-09]

Competition

There are numerous other companies actively working on commercial passenger suborbital spaceflight. Virgin Galactic's most likely competitors include EADS Astrium, Rocketplane Limited, Inc., Space Adventures, and Benson Space Company.Fact|date=July 2008

Fleet

Virgin Galactic is planning to have a fleet of two White Knight Two motherships and five or more SpaceShipTwo tourist suborbital spacecraft. [cite web |url=http://www.space.com/news/080123-virgingalactic-ss2-design.html |title=Virgin Galactic Unveils Suborbital Spaceliner Design |accessdate=2008-01-25 |date=2008-01-23 |first=Tariq |last=Malik |publisher="SPACE.com"]

;WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft: Virgin MotherShips
# "VMS Eve" [cite web |url=http://newsfromrussia.com/news/science/23-01-2008/103605-spacecraft-0 |title=Spaceship Company unveils design of SpaceShipTwo |accessdate=2008-01-25 |date=2008-01-23 |publisher="Pravda Online"]
# "Spirit of Steve Fossett" [cite web |first=Richard |last=Branson |url= http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1670216,00.html |title=My Friend, Steve Fossett |accessdate=2007-10-31 |publisher="Time" |date=10 October 2007] [cite web |first=Ari |last=Burack |url=http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=5903 |title=Sir Richard Branson, black robed as Father Richard for zany party inaugurating Virgin American flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas |accessdate=2008-02-28 |publisher="San Francisco Sentinel" |date=10 October 2007] [cite web |first=Mike |last=Nizza |url=http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/the-legend-of-steve-fossett-takes-root/index.html?ex=1349841600&en=45eab0da4e07992c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss |title=The Legend of Steve Fossett Takes Root |date=2007-10-11 |accessdate=2007-12-20 |publisher="New York Times"]

;SpaceShipTwo suborbital spacecraft: Virgin SpaceShips
# VSS "Enterprise" [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3693020.stm |title=Virgin boss in space tourism bid |accessdate=2007-10-31 |publisher=BBC News |date=27 September 2004]
# VSS "Voyager" [cite web |first=Simon |last=Wilson |date=2005-01-21 |url=http://www.moneyweek.com/file/2333/space-tourism.html |title=Will space tourism ever take off? |accessdate=2007-12-20 |publisher="MoneyWeek"] [cite web |url=http://economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_PVDDNPS&CFID=652299&CFTOKEN=40feddda82a83b6-F677FAB6-B27C-BB00-0143FB2BB9733AFB |title= One small step for space tourism... Private spaceflight |accessdate=2007-12-20 |publisher="The Economist" |date=16 December 2004]
# "unnamed"
# "unnamed"
# "unnamed"

Base

Test launches are taking place from the Mojave Spaceport, where Scaled Composites is constructing the spacecraft. Virgin Galactic expects that initial passenger flights will take place there, as well.cite web | url=http://www.virgingalactic.com/htmlsite/overview.php | title=Virgin Galactic FAQ: Where Will I Fly From? | accessdate=2008-06-26]

An international architectural competition was held for the design of Virgin Galactic's operating base, Spaceport America in New Mexico. The contract was awarded to URS and Foster + Partners architects. [citeweb|title=Foster + Partners|url=http://www.fosterandpartners.com/Projects/1613/Default.aspx|publisher=fosterandpartners.com|accessdate=2008-02-17] Upon the completion of the spaceport, flight operations will transfer from the California desert to the new bases.

Virgin Galactic also announced on April 3, 2008 that in future they will operate in Europe out of Spaceport Sweden. [cite web | url=http://www.virgingalactic.com/htmlsite/news.php | title=News Release 03.04.2008 / Spaceport Sweden and Virgin Galactic | accessdate=2008-06-26]

Will Whitehorn stated in an interview with Space.co.uk on 29th April 2008 that the company was considering flying from a UK base: RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, during the summer months only.

ee also

*Commercial Astronaut
*List of private spaceflight companies
*Space Adventures
*Space colonization
*Space tourism
*Space Tourism Society
*X Prize Foundation

References

External links

* [http://www.virgingalactic.com Virgin Galactic (Turkish,English,Français,Deutsch) ]
* [http://www.space.com/php/video/player.php?video_id=Virgin_galactic01 Virgin Galactic:Let the Journey Begin (Video)]
* [http://www.spacedaily.com/news/spacetravel-05zzzg.html Branson And Rutan Launch New Spaceship Manufacturing Company]
* [http://www.space.com/news/050815_virgingalactic_itar.html U.S. Okays Virgin Galactic Spaceship Plans]
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11630251 New Mexico Spaceport Bills Signed]
* [http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Lloyds_Eyes_Covering_Virgin_Spaceflights.html Lloyds Eyes Covering Virgin Spaceflights]
* [http://spacefellowship.com/News/?p=6155 Virgin Galactic Rolls Out Mothership "Eve“]