Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity bows out to make way for Delta Class successor

Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity has flown its final flight, less than a year since the company began commercial operations. The mission was VSS Unity's 12th successful flight into space and the company's seventh since the first commercial suborbital hop. It reached an apogee of 54.4 miles and a top speed of Mach 2.96. In addition …

[rgjnk]

A cynical view

Not so long ago you might almost have thought that actually providing the supposed space tourist operations of the company was a distracting sideline, and all their efforts were going in other directions sustaining endless 'jam tomorrow' promises.

Though it looks like since the bubble popped and the big players bailed with their profits it's less about the share price and more about eking out the remaining funds to do... something.

[Pascal Monett]

Re: A cynical view

Nah. It's just that the billionnaire got his joyride and now he's done with the project.

You know : attention span. Objective attained = can't give a fuck anymore.

[herman]

Trackless roller coaster

It is a roller coaster. On steroids, but still just a roller coaster. So its utility and market is rather limited.

[Joe W]

Re: Trackless roller coaster

and whatever some say, it does not reach space.

[John Geek]

my kid was 13 or 14 when we went to watch the X-Prize flight 2 at Mojave... he's now 34 and has his PhD. This took *WAY* too long to become even semi operational.

[Tom Chiverton 1]

Makes you wonder how sketchy the prize flights were...

[MachDiamond]

"Makes you wonder how sketchy the prize flights were..."

You don't have to wonder. Mike, Pete and Brian all penned words to the effect of how sketchy those flights were. On one flight with Mike Melville at the controls, the ship started spinning but he kept going as he had a good view of the horizon out of his peripheral vision so he could tell the orientation was still good. Brian Binnie flew the Rotary Rocket craft and that thing was nuts so he was used to pushing the envelope. Pete Siebold survived the breakup of the first SpaceShip 2 where his co-pilot Mike Alsbury didn't have the same luck. Pete didn't make a flight for the X-prize for reasons. He also brought the SpaceShip back without firing the rocket on one occasion claiming it felt "too loose" to keep going.

[PeterM42]

Another Ego project

Richard Branson should stick to airlines, when it comes to anything that takes off the ground.

Virgin Atlantic may not be top of the heap, but it is a good PROFITABLE business. "Space Travel" does not bring home the bacon.