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Are Virgin Galactic exaggerating?
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17-08-2010 12:37am#1Hi,
Just wondering what are peoples opinions on this?
I know at the moment its very expensive, but if the price dropped over time and became affordable for the average earner would you go for it? Lets say it was 20K instead of 200K?
I originally said yes I nearly would for the experience of getting to space but the more I read about it the more offputting it seems. Firstly i think your only experiencing weightlessness for 6 mins which is very very brief, why not just pay for a 'vomet comet'(if thats possible) secondly I came across this diagram and was a bit disappointed.
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/05/14/infographic-shows-ho.html
Ok, I know 100km up is technically Space, but how much of a feeling of being outside Earth would you get at that height? Do you think this will advance further and still be cost effective? e.g. a trip to the ISS maybe or the hubble or maybe a few orbits. I reckon the biggest problem is re-entry, I dont think that technology would be even close to being available with Virgins Spaceship2. Correct me if Im wrong.0
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thecommander wrote: »From what I can tell the vomit comet isn't actual weightlessness, its just simulated because the plane is falling at the same rate you are. It's the same as doing a skydive except you're inside the plane.
Virgin will have 5 mins of actual weightlessness. I'm not sure how either feels so they might be roughly the same experience.
It's actually the same thing, in orbit you are falling only you're missing the planet. If an orbiting spacecraft could stop and not fall to earth you would feel gravity (which is why the craft would fall if it did stop). Also 'cause the Virgin flight is sub-orbital the "mechanism" for achieving weightlessness is closer to the Vomit comet than say the orbiting shuttle.
Have had good experiences of weightlessness in planes and its fu**ing amazing.
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tell us more? what was it? do you really feel like getting sick ?Cú Giobach wrote: »Have had good experiences of weightlessness in planes and its fu**ing amazing.
I did a parachute jump but I dont think thats nearly the same thing cause of the air/noise/everything going on around you. Would love to experience a proper zero gravity feeling.0 -
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tell us more? what was it? do you really feel like getting sick ?
I did a parachute jump but I dont think thats nearly the same thing cause of the air/noise/everything going on around you. Would love to experience a proper zero gravity feeling.
Try a night scuba dive , close your eyes with the torch off., do a few tumbles. Reckon thats as close as I'll get to the space feeling. First thing you have to determine when the you turn the light back on is, which way is up? 0 -
tell us more? what was it? do you really feel like getting sick ?
I did a parachute jump but I dont think thats nearly the same thing cause of the air/noise/everything going on around you. Would love to experience a proper zero gravity feeling.
Nice one 'bout the jump. Do you walk around looking upwards a bit more after that.
Used to do a fair bit of skydiving and often when up there wouldn't be able to jump 'cause of clouds covering the landing zone (pre GPS days).
So the pilot instead of just flying back down normally (boring) we'd have a bit of fun and he would drop the plane accelerating at the same acceleration as gravity. Wouldn't get very long only about 15 secs at a time (or the plane might break up), but when your there it seems like a lot longer. No feeling of sickness or falling your just there floating around with your buddies.
Because was well into astronomy and space then, as now, sometimes used to close my eyes and imagine I was in space, that was very disconcerting and a bit scary (easier to do that outside in freefall strangely).
Note; To anyone interested in space, freefalling, when you get used to it and stop being terrified out of your wits, is a very interesting experience because you feel like your not connected to the planet (ie; an "It's over there" kind of feeling). Very interesting (and cheaper than NASA)
Sitting in a boat is to swimming, as sitting in a plane is to flying. Get out. 0 -
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+1 on opinion of Branson, but if I had the money and opportunity for the flight, I'd swim the Atlantic with one hand tied behind my back smiling all the way for the chance.
The first flight would have a nice "edge" to it that would make it quite interesting. 0 -
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does anyone else find it sickening that first irish man in space will not be a scientist/engineer or a head figure that has genuinely gained alot of respect, but some annoying rich car salesman that loves the sound of his own voice.
Cullen or Higgins.....Shudder
I always wished it could be someone like Leo Enright.
I'd say most of us "sciency/spacey" geeks (ahem..) always pricked up our ears to the words "Leo Enright reports" on the RTE News.
But I guess as they say "money talks".
And not just to the dead 0 -
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I thought it was going to be Tom Higgins, boss of Irish Psychics Live.
He seems to have been the first to sign up with Branson back in 2005 though he may have pulled out since. He appears to have trademarked the phrase "Ireland's First Astronaut".The cheque confirms Tom's place as Ireland's First Astronaut ™ and is payment in full for his trip into space aboard Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two, construction of which will start shortly at the Mojave manufacturing facility in California.
The presentation was made in front of SpaceShip One, which won the Ansari X Prize of 10,000,000 US dollars in October last year. Spaceship One was flown in especially for the event, on its last outing prior to being retired to its new permanent home at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.
Sir Richard thanked Tom for his support in helping to progress the future of commercial space travel and promised to reinvest all profits from the early flights into developing space tourism with a view to eventually bringing it within reach of the average person.
Said Sir Richard: "I am delighted that Tom wants to be Ireland's first astronaut and that he has decided to support our vision for the future of space travel. I hope that Tom, the rest of our Founders Club members, and the other pioneers of the early years of commercial space travel, will help to bring the dream of spaceflight a reality for most people within two decades."
Burt Rutan, designer and inventor of Spaceship One, who was also present, revealed that Tom's flight may also travel much further than originally planned, perhaps as far as 200 miles. “We are working on extending the range of the flights, which could see ships travel up to 200 miles farther and higher."
Said Tom: "The technology developed by Burt seems to advance day to day so whatever happens the other Founders Club members and I, can I think, look forward to a very interesting couple of years ahead."
For more information, interviews, etc, within the Republic of Ireland call 01 466 11 66, or email [EMAIL="info@realm.ie,"]info@realm.ie,[/EMAIL] from outside Ireland call +353 1 466 11 66.0 -
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