Virgin Galactic to unveil tool to fling rich people into space

Space tourism entrepreneurs at Virgin Galactic are poised to unveil the mothership that will launch the fabulously wealthy on ballistic arcs outside the Earth's atmosphere. British billionaire Sir Richard Branson and American aerospace engineer Burt Rutan on Monday will host the public debut of WhiteKnightTwo at the Mojave …

[Mike]

When is someone going to honor

all those PanAm spaceflight tickets that were sold in the 60's. If I had the cash I would do it just for the PR alone ;) Ahh, those were the days, for those of us old enough to remember them...........

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm just waiting for

all the space stewardesses in mod outfits and Velcro shoes.

[Andy Barber]

@Mike

I thought the only passenger on a Pan-Am spaceflight, (sic) was the bloke in 2001, a Space Oddity. Then Pam-Am went bust! Try selling your ticket on eBay.

[Anonymous Coward]

What is it with Branson?

"Virgin Galactic has not yet set a date for when passengers will get a ride"

Nor has Virgin Media set a rip-off date for Phorm. I hope the fly-ware goes better than the spy-ware.

Beware the bearded-one looking over your shoulder!

[Andrew Bush]

@Andy Barber

Ah, but he later fell to earth. Problems with global warming or something.

[Mike Flugennock]

re: your Bootnote

Either that, or the cosmic ray storm will rip a hole in the fabric of space-time and fling them down onto a parallel of Earth where everything is really really huge.

[Graham Marsden]

re: re: your Bootnote

Or they'll end up flung into the future where everyone has very hairy faces and... umm...

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

70% complete

http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/original/967381431-00.gif

[pctechxp]

Lost in Space

Lets hope they fit it with good tracking devices as we dont want another 10 Steve Fossetts do we?

Saying that though, space would make the Nevada Desert look like a village green...

Is anyone still looking for that guy by the way or his is missus too busy spending his billions?

[Sam]

Wishing on a star

Hopefully that beardy prick will be on it when it does a challenger replay.

[Anonymous John]

Maiden Voyage?

I'm sure there will be several test flights before Branson and family fly in it.

[Jeff Rowse]

It's not "Hawiian Shirt"...

It's "Jungle Planet X Camoflage Uniform".

[Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse]

Typically overhyped and overmarketed Virgin bollocks.

I guess it wouldn't sell tickets if it were called what it actually is, which is "Virgin quite high in the atmosphere-ic."

Perhaps Branson would be the first to perform an extra vehicular tropospheric walk for us... no, that would be too much to hope for.

[Niall]

Indescribably awesome.

Whatever you say about Branson or Virgin Galactic or any of the problems (it's suborbital, it's only 5 minutes of zero-g, it's retardedly expensive) associated with it, you have to admit that the idea of being able to buy a flight into space is INDESCRIBABLY AWESOME!

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh Branson

he was kinda cool, but now the Phorm thing is bad bad bad.

This space thing, wasn't this to do with the winner of his Yanky program; the futon guy.

Well I am still waiting for the space elevator, but I have noticed no one is really taking space seriously, there are tons of resources out, we could strip mine mars, and the lack of friction may make it cheaper than shipping.

[amanfromMars]

@Lost in Space ..... Cashing in urChips

"Lets hope they fit it with good tracking devices as we dont want another 10 Steve Fossetts do we?

Saying that though, space would make the Nevada Desert look like a village green...

Is anyone still looking for that guy by the way or his is missus too busy spending his billions?" ..... By pctechxp Posted Sunday 27th July 2008 20:14 GMT

Here is some further "expert" news on that speculation, pctechxp .... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2462912/Adventurer-Steve-Fossett-may-have-faked-his-own-death.html

[Anonymous Coward]

Does anyone remember the original Quatermass story?

The one that goes - three spacemen go up the the first rocket but when it return there is only one person left - an amalgam of all three - with very strange alien abilities.

Aargh don't tell me any more! Bransonia!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Steve Fossett

Has been declared dead and the search operation terminated.

[Jon Tocker]

As mentioned in the electric car comments:

The ultrarich are paying for the stuff now so that we get the benefits later - whatever cool tech stuff comes out of this enterprise. Look what NASA did for the world in the way of improved electronics etc.

[Anthony]

Shouldn't the title of this article really have been....

"Virgin Galactic people unveil plans to fling rich tools into space" ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Does it...

.. slow down to 5mph after 30 minutes of flight?

[Anonymous Coward]

no return?

‘Virgin Galactic to unveil tool to fling rich people into space’

...unfortunately tho' - i think they intend to bring them back again

[Anonymous Coward]

Virgin brand transport

I do hope they get this rocket working smoother than their train service. Although at $200K the pricing is similar.

[Anonymous Coward]

Science Hell and Handcarts...

oh dear..

"Once it breaks free, SpaceShipTwo will fire its rockets and take six passengers on a 2 1/2 hour ride into the Earth's thermosphere."

Perhaps one might like to think about that statement! Isn't it the whole journey from start to finich is 2.5 Hrs? and after a 2+ hour ascent, SpaceShipTwo is released fires its rocket for say 2-3 minutes and then plummets like a ballistic projectile in a timeframe which is likely to be far less than that stated! go ask a red devil!

[Dale]

I thought...

...the headline meant Branson would personally be doing the flinging of folks into space, but it turns out it's a different sort of tool they will be using.

[Rob Brady]

2 Best Techs to come out of NASA

In order:-

Disposable Nappies (Diapers)

Non-Stick Pans.

EOM

[Harry Stottle]

Do we get to choose?

which rich people get flung?

I have alist...

[Anonymous Coward]

Can we chose the title of the craft?

I nominate "The Golgafrincham D-Ark (Celebrity)" as its terribly important for the entertainments to be ready when the rest of teh arks arrives (I vote Posh and Becks on the first flight!)

[Anonymous Coward]

Forget the rich people...

...let's get the Telephone Sanitation Engineers flung up there (one-way) while we still have the chance.

[Graham Lockley]

What ??

>Scaled Composites, now owned by Northrop Grumman Corp is currently appealing a $28,870 state fine for workplace violations in connection with the explosion.

3 dead and 3 seriously injured, total fine $28,870

Jeez you gotta love the capitalist system when thats the best they can do :(

Oh and lay off us Telephone Sanitation Engineers you lot, we provide a vital service. Surely better to fill it with the TV execs who bring us the endless reality tripe. Actually, we could turn it into a show, ' Im a Golgafrincham Celebrity, get me off this planet'

Think I will TM that one just in case :)

[Andy Worth]

Am I the only one.....

.....who with the mention of the word "flung", pictured a giant catapult throwing rich people high into the air?