Updates SpaceShipTwo to begin powered flights by end of year!

[Cosmic Penguin]

Two more videos:

 

[Notebook]

Those drop videos remind me of another:

http://www.spaceuk.org/videos/bsteel.mpg

! Sorry bout that, back to topic, well done all.

N.

 

[Andy44]

That vid from the tail fin camera is fantasic!

 

[MattBaker]

VG Powered Flight Updated Drop BRoll

What was exiting the engine at roughly 50 seconds? Looks like something solid, the question is if it's a bug or a feature?

 

[Hlynkacg]

Probably the cover that prevents water and FOD from entering the engine before ignition.

 

[Mader Levap]

...at first I thought it is computer rendering. Impressive.

 

[Kendo]

Surprisingly long flames for a small craft. There must be some power there.

 

[Urwumpe]

Surprisingly long flames for a small craft. There must be some power there.

Rather a lot of mass flow for the thrust. And a lot of uncombusted fuel transported with the exhaust. Its a hybrid, these produce some pretty flames.

 

[Kendo]

Thanks Urwumpe. Yes, there does seem a lot of waste material there for the amount of thrust. Those flames are massive. I was expecting a more normal type of thrust.

 

[Pipcard]

That top-down view - just epic.

 

[Keatah]

Burnin' Rubber

 

[Unstung]

Awesome picture. I'm looking for a larger one for a wallpaper...

Here's a much larger version that can even be downsized to fit 1080P displays:

The signatures on the nozzle can almost be read.

And there's this:

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I got almost the exact picture from a screengrab from the youtube video. I was right, it is an awesome wallpaper.

 

[Mandella]

Wish Greg Burch was still around and modelling. SpaceShipTwo actually *looks* like one of his designs.

 

[Kendo]

The only free model I have found is at the Sketchup Warehouse. I had this about a year ago and converted it using Babel3d. I had quite a reasonable conversion. See my posts re Spaceship Two. I could buy one at $149 but I won,t. If someone has the Sketchup model its worth adding a few polys to make it really good. Add an undercarriage etc, I could do the textures if anyone wishes.

 

[Urwumpe]

The second big photograph is now my desktop background at work

 

[Ripley]

Shuttle astronaut to pilot Virgin's passenger spaceship

Veteran space shuttle commander Rick Sturckow has joined Virgin Galactic to pilot the company's suborbital passenger spaceship, officials announced Tuesday.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1305/07sturckow/#.UYpYCkq3SE4

 

[Kyle]

Looks like CJ's going to be heading towards space quite a few more times!

 

[Kendo]

A wise choice. The passengers will surely feel more secure.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

After loads of captive and free gliding flights, the SS2 flew its second powered flight earlier today! :thumbup: