News Space tourism coming soon!!!

[Sisco]

Uh in america the average house is $100k at least in my neighborhood...

It all depends on location. Where I live, the average house is more expensive than that.

 

[thegrogen]

Uh in america the average house is $100k at least in my neighborhood...

Whereas in mine, it's closer to $800-$900K. Maybe more. Then again, this is in the 7th richest neighbourhood in Canada.

 

[RGClark]

Some reports are that Virgin Galactic is having difficulty scaling up the hybrid engine on SpaceShipOne to the size needed for SpaceShipTwo:

So Sir Richard: How’s the Engine Coming?
Postedby Doug Messieron May 23, 2011, at 7:07 pmin News.
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2011/05/23/so-sir-richard-hows-engine-coming/

So How’s The Engine Coming?
http://www.transterrestrial.com/?p=34067

There is also speculation there that they may consider switching to a liquid fueled propulsion system.
There was a report that by using a cryogenic (hydrogen) engine, that SpaceShipTwo could be single-stage-to-SUBorbit:

SpaceShipTwo could be single stage to suborbit says ESA firm.
By Rob Coppinger on April 29, 2010 4:24 PM
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/hyperbola/2010/04/spaceshiptwo-could-be-single-s.html

The Vinci engine considered in the study is still under development by the ESA. However, already in service engines might be comparable to the Vinci:

Vinci(rocket engine).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinci_(rocket_engine)

Some of the comments at the two blog pages above on the SpaceShipTwo hybrid engine mentioned that hybrids are not as "safe" as claimed by Virgin Galactic. For instance the claim that hybrids can not explode. This is not literally correct since the nitrous oxide (N2O) used as oxidizer can literally explode under some circumstances. One commenter at the parabolicarc.com blog suggests this is what happened in the 2007 nitrous accident at Scaled Composites.
A team working towards a rocket-propelled land speed record decided against using nitrous for these safety reasons:

Land speed record bid could make space flight safer.
16:20 27 May 2011 by Paul Marks
http://www.newscientist.com/article...bid-could-make-space-flight-safer.html?page=1


Bob Clark

 

[Suzy]

Avatar director James Cameron might be the first client for a Soyuz flight around the Moon - an unconfirmed rumor, though!

 

[Dambuster]

Avatar director James Cameron might be the first client for a Soyuz flight around the Moon - an unconfirmed rumor, though!

That would be great! From reading that article, I suspect any film he did produce from up there would be truly inspirational (and a welcome boost to space programs!).

 

[C3PO]

That would be great! From reading that article, I suspect any film he did produce from up there would be truly inspirational (and a welcome boost to space programs!).

Thank God it's on a russian Soyuz and not on any NASA craft. NASA's censorship would probably turn any film into a celebration of itself.

Richard Garriott made a short sci-fi "home movie" on the ISS. He is in the Guinnes's book of records for making the first fictional movie shot off-planet.
But the actors were the ISS crew, and NASA decided that it didn't reflect the things NASA stands for. So Garriot isn't allowed to release it publicly.

Freedom and democracy, Yay!!!! :facepalm:

---------- Post added at 02:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:59 AM ----------

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apogee_of_Fear"]Apogee of Fear - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[DanM]

But the actors were the ISS crew, and NASA decided that it didn't reflect the things NASA stands for. So Garriot isn't allowed to release it publicly.

Freedom and democracy, Yay!!!! :facepalm:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apogee_of_Fear

That's what wikileaks is for :lol:

 

[T.Neo]

But the actors were the ISS crew, and NASA decided that it didn't reflect the things NASA stands for. So Garriot isn't allowed to release it publicly.

That is just absurd. What does NASA "not stand for"?

What does Apogee of Fear have that we haven't seen in any other film before? Is Apogee of Fear a solid 8 minutes of the ISS crew swearing in Russian and mooning the Earth through Zvezda's windows?

That's extremely annoying. And extremely NASA-ish.

Thank God it's on a russian Soyuz and not on any NASA craft. NASA's censorship would probably turn any film into a celebration of itself.

Maybe that's not a good thing, if he incorperates an environmental slant into it. Considering Cameron made a film that practically blames humanity for being Space Demons for not growing up on a planet covered in a sentient forest, he could end up making a really Anvilicious film, that would be painful to watch. But it's pretty difficult to make spaceflight anvilicious, although I'm sure space advocates can seem that way to most people.

But then again, Some Anvils Need To Be Dropped.

If Cameron flies on Soyuz and if he makes a documentary of it. But it would be pretty cool nontheless, and it would certainly bolster interest in spaceflight.

On the other hand the mission could result in LOC and become an utter, utter shame.

 

[C3PO]

What does Apogee of Fear have that we haven't seen in any other film before? Is Apogee of Fear a solid 8 minutes of the ISS crew swearing in Russian and mooning the Earth through Zvezda's windows?

That's not even the point. IT IS FICTION!!!
Don't people distinguish between fiction and reality anymore?

 

[RGClark]

Armadillo Aerospace is hoping to make a free flight test later this week:

http://twitpic.com/5825wf

I can't tell from this twitter post by Ben Brockert of Armadillo if this is to be just a free hover test or a flight to high altitude.



Bob Clark

 

[RGClark]

Armadillo performed two launches last weekend. The rockets did leave the pad but both had problems during flight. See the videos and descriptions here:

Tube Rocket and SuperMod Launch Report.
http://armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_id=375

The first appeared to have problems with guidance and control. Armadillo appeared to have this solved for their hovering tests and their tethered tests. But presumably it's a more difficult problem when the rocket is traveling at high speed and the corrections have to be made at a faster rate.

The second rocket appears to have been damaged during transport, so it will be interesting to see if they can get a successful flight with an undamaged rocket.


Bob Clark

 

[Kendo]

Could someone please enlighten me on the latest paint scheme for the VirginGalctic White Knight 2. The more I search the more confusing it becomes. It does seem to be the Virgin eye logo as opposed to the plain white with the black Virgin logo. The reason I ask is because I have a model, but for copyright reasons I am re-drawing the textures myself. I have done the Virgin eye logos etc. The model has some very slight crincling around the windscreen areas but it is very acceptable as its about the only free model around. ADMIN, If this is in the wrong place, please remove it. Many thanks, Ken.

 

[orb]

Parabolic Arc: Russia’s Space Tourism Ventures: Where Things Stand:

The MAKS 2011 airshow in Moscow last week provided that nation’s often opaque aerospace industry an opportunity, if ever so briefly, to emerge from the shadows and shine in the light of day. The annual event also gave us a bit of a peek into that nation’s commercial space efforts, which promise joy rides around the moon, a private space hotel, and a resumption of billionaut flights to the International Space Station.

And yet, amid all the hype, there’s evidence that these ventures, like almost everything else in “NewSpace”, are continuing to slip into the future amid fresh worries that there is not enough money to accomplish all of them.The answer to that will have a major impact on the future of Energia, the Russian space company that is playing a key role in all three commercial ventures.

{...}

For the discussion about the space hotel, see: "[News] Orbital Tech. & RSC Energia to launch CSS" thread.

For the discussion about private circumlunar flights, see: "[News] Private flights to the moon" thread.

 

[Jarvitä]

Hardly worth its own thread, but Scaled Composites has recently completed another full-duration test of the SS2's hybrid rocket engine, and their flight tests remain on schedule for a powered test flight by the end of this year.

 

[RGClark]

Armadillo performed two launches last weekend. The rockets did leave the pad but both had problems during flight. See the videos and descriptions here:

Tube Rocket and SuperMod Launch Report.
http://armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_id=375

The first appeared to have problems with guidance and control. Armadillo appeared to have this solved for their hovering tests and their tethered tests. But presumably it's a more difficult problem when the rocket is traveling at high speed and the corrections have to be made at a faster rate.

The second rocket appears to have been damaged during transport, so it will be interesting to see if they can get a successful flight with an undamaged rocket.

Blue Origin also failed in its initial attempt at high speed suborbital flight, though it also had been successful at hovering flight:

Article:
Secretive Private Spaceship Builder Reports Rocket Failure
by Leonard David, SPACE.com’s Space Insider Columnist
Date: 02 September 2011 Time: 06:16 PM ET
http://www.space.com/12824-blue-origin-private-spaceship-rocket-failure.html

I suggest consulting with Draper Labs for advice on their guidance and control problems. Draper has experience going back decades since the Apollo missions in G & C. Considering Draper's involvement with some teams in the Google Lunar X-prize competition none of whom are heavily financed the consultation might be of comparatively low price.


Bob Clark

 

[Wishbone]

Bigelow Aerospace is firing 64 out of its 115 employees.
Source:
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/...er+Sponsor+Logo_6_*Top+Story_sec-col1-m0_News

Comment: another one bites the dust

 

[dougkeenan]

Bigelow Aerospace is firing 64 out of its 115 employees.
Source:
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/...er+Sponsor+Logo_6_*Top+Story_sec-col1-m0_News

Comment: another one bites the dust

That's how capitalism works, right?

 

[Wishbone]

Heh, exactly... Living off government contracts hoping to kick off something commercially viable.

 

[RGClark]

Private suborbital flight coming soon.

Blue Origin also failed in its initial attempt at high speed suborbital flight, though it also had been successful at hovering flight:

Article:
Secretive Private Spaceship Builder Reports Rocket Failure
by Leonard David, SPACE.com’s Space Insider Columnist
Date: 02 September 2011 Time: 06:16 PM ET
http://www.space.com/12824-blue-origin-private-spaceship-rocket-failure.html

I suggest consulting with Draper Labs for advice on their guidance and control problems. Draper has experience going back decades since the Apollo missions in G & C. Considering Draper's involvement with some teams in the Google Lunar X-prize competition none of whom are heavily financed the consultation might be of comparatively low price.


Bob Clark

Armadillo Aerospace has now succeeded in launching their rocket to high altitude:

Armadillo Launches STIG A Rocket to 137,500 Feet From Spaceport America
Posted by Doug Messier on December 6, 2011, at 12:31 pm in News.
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2011/12...rocket-to-124000-feet-from-spaceport-america/

Congrats to Armadillo and John Carmack. They apparently have solved the problem of instability at high velocity. No doubt getting to the full altitude for space at 100 km will come in short order as well. :thumbup:


Bob Clark

---------- Post added 12-09-11 at 07:02 AM ---------- Previous post was 12-08-11 at 03:06 PM ----------

Armadillo Aerospace has now succeeded in launching their rocket to high altitude:

Armadillo Launches STIG A Rocket to 137,500 Feet From Spaceport America
Posted by Doug Messier on December 6, 2011, at 12:31 pm in News.
http://www.parabolicarc.com/2011/12...rocket-to-124000-feet-from-spaceport-america/

Armadillo Stiga rocket high altitude launch to nearspace - YouTube

Congrats to Armadillo and John Carmack. They apparently have solved the problem of instability at high velocity. No doubt getting to the full altitude for space at 100 km will come in short order as well. :thumbup:

See the earlier version of their "Stig" rocket here:

Armadillo Aerospace's "Tube Rocket" 'Stig' completed
Industry News by BEN BROCKERT, Armadillo Aerospace
SUNDAY, APRIL 03, 2011
http://www.rocketryplanet.com/content/view/3593/29/#axzz1g12Sf3H3

Compare that to the version that successfully reached 40+ km altitude:

http://www.spaceadventures.com/inde...D&albumid=87FF8514-B105-A4CF-53AA2D9065A52CAB

One clear change is the significantly larger fins. Perhaps this helped to maintain stability at high speed.

Bob Clark

 

[RGClark]

These launches by the suborbital companies have an importance beyond the suborbital flights. The engines for the suborbitals are usually of low efficiency, with chamber pressures in the range of 20 bar to 40 bar. This results in rather low efficiency, i.e., Isp, insufficient for orbital velocities.
However, a key fact is for vacuum Isp the most important factor is just the length of the nozzle, not the chamber pressure. As an example the RL-10B2 hydrogen-fueled upper stage engine only has a chamber pressure about 40 bar but because it uses a long nozzle optimized for vacuum use, it gets a vacuum Isp of about 465 s, quite high.
Then the suborbital companies engines could have orbital Isp's with longer nozzles. The problem is the longer nozzles give very poor performance at sea level.
Two solutions. One is to make multi-stage vehicles.
However, another solution is to use altitude compensation methods. This solution would make it possible for the suborbital companies to even field low cost SSTO's.


Bob Clark