News Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo tests re-entry system

[Jarvitä]

The SpaceShipTwo suborbital rocketplane, commissioned by beardy biz-lord Richard Branson in order to offer zero-G exoatmospheric joyrides to wealthy customers, has flight-tested its unique "feathering" re-entry mode.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05/05/virgin_feather_test/

 

[RisingFury]

Is that a photo or rendering? With the shiny blur effect I really can't tell...

 

[Jarvitä]

The article doesn't say, but the way it's presented appears to imply that it's a real photo that was taken during said test.

 

[sputnik]

That's a real photo. Magnified, from the ground, up to about 40,000 feet, hence the very slightly hazy edges.

"Beardy biz-lord Richard Branson?" Quick, somebody find that author's thesaurus, and hide it!

 

[Jarvitä]

Yup, confirmed for real photo:

http://www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/spaceshiptwos-first-feathered-flight/

"Beardy biz-lord Richard Branson?" Quick, somebody find that author's thesaurus, and hide it!

Also, it's The Register, we've come to expect nothing less. :tiphat:

 

[Tschachim]

"Beardy biz-lord Richard Branson?" Quick, somebody find that author's thesaurus, and hide it!

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beardy[/ame]