Virgin Galactic: Flights 'still a few years away'

Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard Branson's planned "space tourism" operation, has admitted that it is "still a few years away from operations". The company's COO has suggested that work is at a standstill pending the outcome of health-and-safety investigations into the fatal explosion earlier this year at the Mojave facilities of …

[Neil Barnes]

Sputnik actually did reach Earth orbit...

Ah, but you've only got their word for it, right? I mean, how hard can it have been to have faked some scratchy beep beep beep recordings?

It's a conspiracy, I tell you... next thing, they'll be claiming to have landed on the moon!

[Anonymous Coward]

The Knights of Incredulity

"Norman Foster" surely you mean Sir Norman Foster!

Please get your coat, report to the tower for a few hours of mild flogging then drink yourself to the worlds worst hangover as punishment.

[Anonymous Coward]

Mmmmmmmmoller

A whiff of sky car about it?

Can you really lug 100 super rich types into space for only 20 million dollars and turn a profit?

Would anyone do it twice?

[The Mighty Biff]

Duty Free

They'll make their money on the duty free sales. And Space Beer.

[Misha Gale]

Re: Sputnik actually did reach Earth orbit...

Well, it was visible from the earths surface, although it could just have been a visiting alien spacecraft which the sneaky russkies took advantage of and *claimed* it was their satellite.

[Jonathan Richards]

@Neil Barnes

One didn't need to take the Russian's word for the fact of Sputnik's launch into orbit. With a decent pair of binoculars, Sputnik was visible just before sunrise and just after sunset as it made its orbits. Jodrell Bank confirmed it to everybody's satisfaction!

[andy gibson]

@Johnathan Richards

Jodrell Bank. Would this be the same Jodrell Bank who when I asked them a few years ago whether the telescope could be used in the SETI project, scoffed and said it wasn't capable. And shortly after was announced that it WOULD be used.

[Anonymous Coward]

Sputnik visibility

Wasn't it just the final booster stages that was visible, theoretically orbiting a short distance behind the spud itself?

The spud being way too small to be seen with bins, they actually polished up the final stage rocket to improve visibility..