Virgin Galactic Branson Flight

[Chuckanut]

Bezos net worth is supposedly the highest at over $200B. I'm not sure where Bezos is or what his goal is. He's been pretty low profile about it. To "develop reusable launch vehicles for civilian and defense purposes" is something SpaceX has already been providing commercially since 2010!!

I am guessing the Mr. Bezos may be lighting a fire under some people at Blue Origin.

FWIW, United Launch Alliance is reportedly getting upset because Blue Origin is not meeting the schedule for the new BE-4 rocket engine that will power the new Vulcan rocket's booster stage. Rocketry is hard so I can't be critical of Blue Origin, but I have to wonder why an [-]old-school[/-] seasoned rocket outfit like ULA picked a newbie like Blue Origin to make such a critical part of the Vulcan rocket. OTOH, at least they won't be using Russian rocket engines anymore.

 

[NW-Bound]

After all, these people are "special".

I have no problem with what they are doing. I think it will be a benefit to mankind. But don't lecture me on emissions while you are having fun partying in space.

I am not sure about "benefit to mankind", but that does not matter. And these people are not special. As Orwell described in Animal Farm, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

I am also guilty of using natural resources in my air travel, compared to someone who just stays home and rides a bike.

And these billionaires have more than 10,000x my money, so they can burn 10,000x more fuel for a joy ride, and we are still "equal".

 

[CardsFan]

I am not sure about "benefit to mankind", but that does not matter. And these people are not special. As Orwell described in Animal Farm, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

I am also guilty of using natural resources in my air travel, compared to someone who just stays home and rides a bike.

And these billionaires have more than 10,000x my money, so they can burn 10,000x more fuel for a joy ride, and we are still "equal".

FWIW, I think we are on the same page. Your Animal Farm quote is spot on.

My only point is don't lecture me, when you don't follow your own guidelines. Rant over.

 

[FIREarly]

"If you're watching a launch into space, the chances are great you're watching a Boilermaker reach for the stars."

"Nearly a third of all U.S. spaceflights, according to the university, have included a Purdue graduate. Ten missions have included multiple Purdue grads."

Go to Purdue, where you're more likely to go to space than the Final Four

Boiler up!!

https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2021/07/09/purdue-astronauts-boilermakers-who-have-traveled-into-space/7914329002

 

[Koogie]

"If you're watching a launch into space, the chances are great you're watching a Boilermaker reach for the stars."

"Nearly a third of all U.S. spaceflights, according to the university, have included a Purdue graduate. Ten missions have included multiple Purdue grads."

Go to Purdue, where you're more likely to go to space than the Final Four

Boiler up!!

https://www.jconline.com/story/news...akers-who-have-traveled-into-space/7914329002

Does that mean people will do anything to get out of Indiana ?...

 

[Gumby]

"If you're watching a launch into space, the chances are great you're watching a Boilermaker reach for the stars."

"Nearly a third of all U.S. spaceflights, according to the university, have included a Purdue graduate. Ten missions have included multiple Purdue grads."

Go to Purdue, where you're more likely to go to space than the Final Four

Boiler up!!

https://www.jconline.com/story/news...akers-who-have-traveled-into-space/7914329002

My alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy, has the distinction of having produced the most astronauts of any college or university - 54 to Purdue's 15 -- including 3 of my classmates. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/13-colleges-produced-most-astronauts-130000348.html

 

[FIREarly]

Does that mean people will do anything to get out of Indiana ?...

hahaha there is some Johnny Depp movie where in the trailer they are taking him to jail and he says. "Where are we going?"
"Indiana"
"There's nothing I want to do in Indiana!"

 

[FIREarly]

My alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy, has the distinction of having produced the most astronauts of any college or university - 54 to Purdue's 15 -- including 3 of my classmates. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/13-colleges-produced-most-astronauts-130000348.html

Thank you for your time at USNA and afterwards. USNA was ranked by USNEWS (?) #1 school in the state of MD.

USNA also more like to space than the Final Four.

Herndon climb!

 

[NW-Bound]

Nah, are there people like me who never want to go into space?

What do you do there, other than look down at the Earth, which is the place you will go back to anyway? The view is interesting all right, but I don't have to see it in person.

And if you look up, there's just a black void. There's nothing out in space. All other stars and planets are too far away. You cannot get there.

 

[Gumby]

Thank you for your time at USNA and afterwards. USNA was ranked by USNEWS (?) #1 school in the state of MD.

USNA also more like to space than the Final Four.

Herndon climb!

And I certainly respect Purdue. One of my best friends from law school is the general counsel there.

 

[Car-Guy]

And if you look up, there's just a black void. There's nothing out in space. All other stars and planets are too far away. You cannot get there.

The text above that I changed to red is intended to be a joke, right?

 

[FIREarly]

And I certainly respect Purdue. One of my best friends from law school is the general counsel there.

Thank you from Purdue Alumni. There are a lot of good schools and believe Purdue is a top contender among public schools.

 

[NW-Bound]

The text above that I changed to red is intended to be a joke, right?

Well, if you count asteroids, cosmic dust, etc..., then yes, there's something out there. Oh, and space junk too.

As I said, other suns and planets are too far away to reach. And the closer ones don't look too interesting either.

There are a lot more interesting things and places on earth, and a person does not get to see it all in his life.

PS. The vast galaxies out there are mind-boggling. However, when something is light-years away from you, going up a few hundred miles or even thousands of miles don't get you any closer to them.

By the way, the closest star to the Earth is about 4 light years away or something like 25 trillion miles.

 

[Car-Guy]

By the way, the closest star to the Earth is about 4 light years away or something like 25 trillion miles.

Actually the closest star to earth is about ~93 million miles away (avg) or about 8 min and 20 sec away (on avg) in light minutes.

 

[braumeister]

I heard about a cow that jumped over the moon once.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

I have a little bit of a different take on the whole thing. I do agree that nothing big will happen in the immediate future, like in one or two years time. Yes, they are planning and will likely start taking passengers up into space starting next year. Big deal, some say. I can understand that.

But I also see where some companies are building or are planning to build very soon "space hotels". These hotels will be elite of course at first as only the super rich will be able to afford staying in them. The first one is scheduled to open in 2027. Big deal, you say and I can understand that.

But the companies and the people planning all this are thinking longer term, much longer. As spaceports get built out on Earth that will enable many more flights, that will mean more money flowing in and the costs will come down. Not in the reach of the average person, no, but it will come down. More hotels could possibly be built to accommodate the increased number of passengers that will create a snowball effect driving down prices and costs. All of this takes time of course.

But prices will come down if all of this happens. After that, who knows what will be possible or what could develop from all that. For me, that is what is interesting about all this because mining the moon, passenger travel to the moon and colonizing Mars hasn't even been mentioned yet and all that is possibly in the future. But it has to start somewhere and this is the start of perhaps something where our imaginations can wild with possibilities.

 

[cyber888]

Right, Branson only did 15 minutes in space. Originally, the plan was 1 hour 15 minutes. But 15 minutes is too short at 53 miles above earth.

Besoz will be doing even shorter - 11 minutes. And at 62 miles above earth.

At least 2 hour would be cool, but 11 - 15 minutes is too short.

I love space stuff but this doesn't impress me at all. I could see paying to go the the Space Station or the moon. But an up and down like this? Nothing burger. Unless they were really along for the ride on a shakedown of new technology leading to more useful shuttles, etc. later this seems useless.

 

[audreyh1]

I have a little bit of a different take on the whole thing. I do agree that nothing big will happen in the immediate future, like in one or two years time. Yes, they are planning and will likely start taking passengers up into space starting next year. Big deal, some say. I can understand that.

But I also see where some companies are building or are planning to build very soon "space hotels". These hotels will be elite of course at first as only the super rich will be able to afford staying in them. The first one is scheduled to open in 2027. Big deal, you say and I can understand that.

But the companies and the people planning all this are thinking longer term, much longer. As spaceports get built out on Earth that will enable many more flights, that will mean more money flowing in and the costs will come down. Not in the reach of the average person, no, but it will come down. More hotels could possibly be built to accommodate the increased number of passengers that will create a snowball effect driving down prices and costs. All of this takes time of course.

But prices will come down if all of this happens. After that, who knows what will be possible or what could develop from all that. For me, that is what is interesting about all this because mining the moon, passenger travel to the moon and colonizing Mars hasn't even been mentioned yet and all that is possibly in the future. But it has to start somewhere and this is the start of perhaps something where our imaginations can wild with possibilities.

Space Odyssey 2031?

Well - I guess they were getting ready to head to Jupiter. So maybe 2051?

 

[CaptTom]

Right, Branson only did 15 minutes in space. Originally, the plan was 1 hour 15 minutes. But 15 minutes is too short at 53 miles above earth.

Besoz will be doing even shorter - 11 minutes. And at 62 miles above earth.

The short flights are sub-orbital. To achieve orbit (stay up longer) you'd need to be going a LOT faster, and perpendicular to the Earth's surface. Not just an up and down hop. Two totally different things.

I'd take the hop, if it were within my budget. But of course a few real orbits would be much, much cooler. And sign me up for a vacation in a space hotel!

Funny how, back in the late 60's and early 70's, we thought this would all have been old hat by now. Guess I was born just a bit too soon.

I have to keep reminding myself that European settlers didn't start coming to the "New World" until around 200 years after their first well-publicized voyages here. (I'm leaving that vague enough to cover Vikings.)

I imagine it'll take that long before human "settlers" venture away from Earth. Unless we spiral into another Dark Ages, which seems very possible lately. If Branson's little stunt moves the needle on that just a little, I'm all for it.

 

[Car-Guy]

Right, Branson only did 15 minutes in space. Originally, the plan was 1 hour 15 minutes. But 15 minutes is too short at 53 miles above earth.

I could be wrong (often I am) but I think the 1 hour and 15 mins is what was originally planned. (Actually I think it was planned for 1hr and 30 mins, but that is pretty close) That was from when the jet powered mother ship took off until the rocket powered ship was released, then went into space and then came back to land. So total flight time was "about" 1hr and 15mins... + or -

 

[Car-Guy]

I heard about a cow that jumped over the moon once.

Maybe you are (or someone is) drinking to much of your "brew"....

 

[NW-Bound]

Actually the closest star to earth is about ~93 million miles away (avg) or about 8 min and 20 sec away (on avg) in light minutes.

Yes, I neglected that one, which is a lot closer. But then, with this star as well as any other one, we cannot get too close, lest we burn up.

 

[eytonxav]

Richard is an underachiever!

 

[ownyourfuture]

Very good, but not as cool as Musk's Boosters coming back and landing to be used again. That brought tears to my eyes.

Just watched it. Had the same effect on me!

 

[Chuckanut]

I had a discussion with other geeky friends a while back on whether or not the people who traveled on this flight were 'astronauts'. We finally agreed that if anybody who has ever flown as a passenger on an airplane can be called an aviator, then they can be called astronauts.

IOW, they are not astronauts.