SpaceshipTwo-WhiteKnightTwo

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 * //Project Type// || **Two Stage to orbit, Spaceplane - Rocket** ||
 * //Operating body// || **Virgin Galactic** ||
 * //Host Nation// || **United States / United Kingdom** ||
 * //Program cost// ||  ||
 * //Cost per vehicle// ||  ||
 * //Life support// || **Yes** ||
 * //Status// || **Pre-Commercial tests** ||

Useful Links
Virgin Galactic home - http://www.virgingalactic.com/

=SpaceShipTwo 10/04/2011= From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SpaceShipTwo||||~ SpaceShipTwo is the small detachable craft in the middle. || //Passengers:// 6 || The **Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo** (SS2) is a [|suborbital] [|horizontal-takeoff, horizontal-landing] (HTHL),[|[][|1][|]] [|spaceplane] for carrying [|space tourists], under development by [|The Spaceship Company], a joint venture between [|Scaled Composites] and [|Sir Richard Branson's] [|Virgin Group], as part of the [|Tier 1b] program. The spaceship was officially unveiled to the public on Monday, 7 December 2009, at the Mojave Air and Spaceport in California.[|[][|2][|]] The [|Virgin Galactic] spaceline plans to operate a fleet of five of these craft in passenger-carrying [|private spaceflight] service starting no earlier than 2011.[|[][|3][|]][|[][|4][|]] A ticket costs $200,000 USD.[|[][|5][|]] [[|hide]]
 * ~ Description ||
 * **Role:** || [|Spaceplane] ||
 * **Mothership:** || [|White Knight Two] ||
 * **Crew:** || //Crew:// 2
 * **Developed from:** || [|SpaceShipOne] ||
 * **Manufacturer:** || [|The Spaceship Company] ||
 * **Primary user:** || [|Virgin Galactic] ||
 * **Status:** || Performing Test Flights ||
 * ==Contents==
 * [|1] [|Design and development]
 * [|1.1] [|Safety]
 * [|1.2] [|Flight test program]
 * [|1.2.1] [|NASA sRLV program]
 * [|2] [|Launch site]
 * [|3] [|Commercial introduction]
 * [|4] [|Spacecraft]
 * [|5] [|References]
 * [|6] [|External links] ||

[[|edit]] Design and development
The SpaceShipTwo project is based in part on technology developed for [|SpaceShipOne] as part of the Scaled Composites [|Tier One] program, funded by [|Paul Allen]. The Spaceship Company licenses this technology from [|Mojave Aerospace Ventures], a joint venture of Paul Allen and [|Burt Rutan], the designer of the predecessor technology. SpaceShipTwo is a [|low-aspect-ratio] [|spaceplane] that will carry passengers to space; the capacity will be eight people: six passengers and two pilots. The [|apogee] of the new craft will be approximately 110 km (68 miles) and in the [|thermosphere], 10 km (6 miles) higher than both the SpaceShipOne target (though the last flight of the SpaceShipOne reached 112 km), and the [|Kármán line]. SpaceShipTwo will reach 4,200 km/h (2,600 mph), using a single [|hybrid rocket] motor (as seen in the technical diagram) [//[|clarification needed]//], which goes by the name [|RocketMotorTwo].[|[][|6][|]] It will launch at 15,200 m (50,000 ft) from its mother ship, [|White Knight Two], and go [|supersonic] within 8 seconds. After 70 seconds, the rocket motor cuts out and the spacecraft will coast to its peak altitude. SpaceShipTwo's crew cabin is 3.66 m (12 ft) long and 2.28 m (7.5 ft) in diameter.[|[][|7][|]] The wing span is 8.23 m (27 ft), the length is 18.29 m (60 ft) and the tail height is 4.57 m (15 ft).[|[][|8][|]] SpaceShipTwo uses a [|feathered reentry system], feasible due to the low speed of re-entry – by contrast, space shuttles and other orbital spacecraft re-enter at orbital speeds, closer to 25,000 km/h (16,000 mph), using heat shields. It is designed to reenter the atmosphere at any angle.[|[][|9][|]] SpaceShipTwo will decelerate through the [|atmosphere], switching to a gliding position at 80,000 ft and will take 25 minutes to glide back to the [|spaceport]. Once the passengers return, their passports will receive a spaceflight stamp and they will be awarded their [|astronaut] wings at an awards ceremony. They will also be able to relive their flight from footage filmed during the [|spaceflight]. SpaceShipTwo and its new carrier aircraft, [|White Knight Two], are roughly twice the size of the first generation spacecraft [|SpaceShipOne] and mothership [|White Knight] that won the [|Ansari X Prize]. SpaceShipTwo will have 43 cm and 33 cm (17 and 13 in) diameter windows for the passengers' viewing pleasure,[|[][|8][|]] and all seats will recline back during landing to decrease the discomfort of G-forces.[|[][|10][|]] Reportedly, the craft can land safely even if a "catastrophic failure" occurs during flight.[|[][|11][|]] SpaceShipTwo schematic diagram
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Aero-stub_img.svg/20px-Aero-stub_img.svg.png width="20" height="20" caption="Aero-stub img.svg" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aero-stub_img.svg"]] || //This [|aircraft] article is missing some (or all) of its [|specifications]. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by [|adding them].// ||

[[|edit]] Safety
During the early test phase of Space Ship Two's system on 26 July 2007 an explosion occurred during a fuel flow test at the [|Mojave Air & Space Port]. The test included filling the [|oxidizer] tank with 4,500 kg (10,000 pounds) of [|nitrous oxide] followed by a 15 second [|cold flow] injector test. [//[|citation needed]//] Although the tests did not ignite the gas, three employees were killed and three injured, two critically and one seriously, from [|shrapnel] wounds.[|[][|12][|]] [|Burt Rutan] remarked on the safety of the vehicle: > "This vehicle is designed to go into the atmosphere in the worst case straight in or upside down and it'll correct...This is designed to be at least as safe as the early airliners in the 1920s...Don't believe anyone that tells you that the safety will be the same as a modern airliner, which has been around for 70 years."[|[][|9][|]]

[[|edit]] Flight test program
In October 2009, Virgin Galactic CEO Will Whitehorn outlined the flight test program for SpaceShipTwo. The test program will include seven phases: vehicle ground testing, captive carry under WhiteKnightTwo, unpowered glide testing, subsonic testing with only a brief firing of the rocket, [|supersonic] [|atmospheric] testing, then rocket into suborbital space, and finally execute a detailed and lengthy process with US Federal government regulator [|FAA/AST] to demonstrate system robustness and eventually obtain a [|commercial launch license] to begin commercial operations.[|[][|13][|]] On Monday March 22, 2010, the SpaceShipTwo vehicle [|VSS Enterprise] underwent a captive carry test flight, whereby the parent WhiteKnightTwo performed a short flight with the SpaceShipTwo being carried by the WhiteKnightTwo.[|[][|14][|]] A second test flight was made on May 16, 2010[|[][|15][|]] The flight reached launch altitude (51,000 feet) and lasted for a duration of nearly five hours in order to facilitate "cold soak" testing of SS2's avionics and pressurization system. "A simulated spaceship descent/glide mission was made from altitude." [|[][|16][|]] The SpaceShipTwo airframe was modified between captive carry flight 1 and flight 2 by the addition of two interior fins, one to the inside (rocket-side) of each of the twin [|vertical stabilizers].[|[][|17][|]] On July 15, 2010 VSS Enterprise made its first crewed flight. The craft remained attached to VMS Eve as planned and underwent a series of combined vehicle systems tests. The flight lasted 6 hours and 21 minutes. A second, and similar, crewed flight of VSS Enterprise and [|VMS Eve] was carried out on 30 Sept 10 lasting 5 hours. Improving pilot proficiency was among the objectives and the results add confidence that the systems are capable of supporting future glide missions.[|[][|15][|]] On October 10, 2010 VSS Enterprise made its first manned gliding test flight, after being released from VMS Eve at 45,000 feet.[|[][|18][|]][|[][|19][|]] The second gliding test flight took place on the 28th of October 2010 [|[][|20][|]] and the third on Wednesday 17 November 2010.[|[][|21][|]] As of December 2010 [|[update]], Scaled reported that the flight test program is exceeding expectations,.[|[][|22][|]] The fourth test flight took place in January 2011.[|[][|23][|]]

[[|edit]] NASA sRLV program
As of March 2011 [|[update]], Virgin Galactic has submitted SpaceShipTwo as a reusable launch vehicle for carrying research payloads in response to [|NASA]'s suborbital reusable launch vehicle (sRLV) solicitation, which is a part of NASA's Flight Operations Program. Virgin projects 110 km (68 mi) altitude in flights of approximately 90 minutes duration, while carrying a research payload. Flights will provide approximately four minutes of microgravity. Payload mass and microgravity levels have not yet been specified.[|[][|1][|]] The NASA research flights could begin during the test flight certification program for SpaceShipTwo.

[[|edit]] Launch site
The SpaceShipTwo craft will take off from the [|Mojave Air & Space Port] in California during testing. [|Spaceport America] (formerly Southwest Regional Spaceport), a US$212 million [|spaceport] in [|New Mexico] partly funded by the state government,[|[][|24][|]] will become the permanent launch site when commercial launches begin.[|[][|7][|]] The company is also exploring launches from spaceports in the UK.[|[][|25][|]]

[[|edit]] Commercial introduction
In August 2005, the president of space tourism company Virgin Galactic stated that if the suborbital service with SpaceShipTwo is successful, the follow-up [|SpaceShipThree] will be an orbital craft. In 2008, Virgin Galactic changed their plans and decided to make it a point-to-point vehicle. This vehicle will offer transportation through [|point-to-point suborbital spaceflight].[|[][|26][|]] On 28 September 2006, Sir Richard Branson unveiled a mock-up of the SpaceShipTwo passenger cabin at the NextFest exposition, in the [|Javits Convention Center], New York.[|[][|27][|]] More than 65,000 would-be space tourists have applied for the first batch of 100 tickets. The price will initially be $200,000.[|[][|28][|]] The duration of the flights will be approximately 2.5 hours, though only a few minutes of that will be in space. In December 2007 Virgin Galactic had 200 paid-up applicants on its books for the early flights, and 95% were passing the 6-8 g centrifuge tests.[|[][|29][|]] The design of the vehicle was revealed to the press in January 2008, with the statement that the vehicle itself was around 60% complete.[|[][|7][|]] The launch customer of SpaceShipTwo is Virgin Galactic, which will have the first five units to be built.[|[][|30][|]] On 7 December 2009, the official unveiling and rollout of SpaceShipTwo took place. The event involved the first SpaceShipTwo being christened by [|Governor Schwarzenegger] as the //VSS Enterprise//.[|[][|31][|]] October 10, 2010 the //VSS Enterprise// made its first piloted free flight from the mother ship to a safe landing at Mojave Air and Spaceport.[|[][|32][|]] Following 50–100 test flights, the first paying customers are expected to fly aboard the craft in 2011.[|[][|33][|]] [//[|unreliable source?]//] [|[][|34][|]][|[][|35][|]] Refining the projected schedule in late 2009, Virgin Galactic has declined to announce a firm schedule for commercial flights, but did reiterate that initial flights would take place from [|Spaceport America]. Operational roll-out will be based on a "safety-driven schedule" but they hope to achieve it "within two years".[|[][|13][|]] In addition to making suborbital passenger launches, Virgin Galactic will market SpaceShipTwo for suborbital [|space science] missions.[|[][|13][|]]

[[|edit]] Spacecraft
Five vehicles have been ordered by Virgin Galactic.[|[][|36][|]] As of October 2007 [|[update]], only the first two have been named, the VSS (Virgin Space Ship) //Enterprise//,[|[][|37][|]] and the [|VSS //Voyager//].[|[][|38][|]] Both are in development.[|[][|39][|]]
 * 1) [|VSS //Enterprise//][|[][|40][|]] (2009)
 * 2) [|VSS //Voyager//][|[][|38][|]]
 * 3) Not yet Named
 * 4) Not yet Named
 * 5) Not yet Named

[[|edit]] References

 * 1) ^ [|//**a**//] [|//**b**//] [|"sRLV platforms compared"]. NASA. 2011-03-07 . [] . Retrieved 2011-03-10 . "SpaceShipTwo: Type: HTHL/Piloted"
 * 2) **[|^]** Amos, Jonathan (2009-12-08). [|"Richard Branson unveils Virgin Galactic spaceplane"]. BBC News . [] . Retrieved 2010-03-23.
 * 3) **[|^]** [|"Space tourism: Galactic Gamble — Is the market Virgin's to lose?"]. Flightglobal.com . [] . Retrieved 2010-03-23.
 * 4) **[|^]** John Schwartz (2008-01-23). [|"New Tourist Spacecraft Unveiled"]. nytimes.com . [] . Retrieved 2008-01-23.
 * 5) **[|^]** [|Virgin GALACTIC - Booking]
 * 6) **[|^]** Scaled Composites LLC. [|"RocketMotorTwo Hot-Fire Test Summaries"]. scaled.com . [] . Retrieved 2010-04-01.
 * 7) ^ [|//**a**//] [|//**b**//] [|//**c**//] Rob Coppinger. [|"PICTURES: Virgin Galactic unveils Dyna-Soar style SpaceShipTwo design and twin-fuselage White Knight II configuration"]. flightglobal.com . [] . Retrieved 2008-01-23.
 * 8) ^ [|//**a**//] [|//**b**//] Virgin Galactic. [|"Spaceship Unveil Presspack"]. virgingalactic.com . [] . Retrieved 2008-02-10.
 * 9) ^ [|//**a**//] [|//**b**//] Farber, Dan; Dignan, Larry (2008-01-23). [|"Virgin Galactic unveils SpaceShipTwo; Plans open architecture spaceship"]. zdnet.com . [] . Retrieved 2008-02-10.
 * 10) **[|^]** Tariq Malik (2006-09-28). [|"Virgin Galactic Unveils SpaceShipTwo Interior Concept"]. Space News . [] . Retrieved 2007-04-06.
 * 11) **[|^]** Peter de Selding. [|"Virgin Galactic Customers Parting with Their Cash"]. Space News. Archived from [|the original] on 2007-12-12 . [] . Retrieved 2007-04-06.
 * 12) **[|^]** Abdollah, Tami and Silverstein, Stuart (2007-07-27). "3 killed, 3 injured in explosion at rocket test site in Mojave". [|Los Angeles Times], 27 July 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-27 from [].
 * 13) ^ [|//**a**//] [|//**b**//] [|//**c**//] [|Will Whitehorn]. (2009-10-27). [|//International Astronautical Congress 2009: Civilian Access to Space//]. [video, comments at c. 20:00]. [|Daejeon, Korea]: [|Flightglobal] Hyperbola, Rob Coppinger . [].
 * 14) **[|^]** [|"Maiden flight for Branson's SpaceShipTwo"]. //ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)//. 2010-03-23 . [].
 * 15) ^ [|//**a**//] [|//**b**//] [|WhiteKnightTwo/SpaceShipTwo Test Summaries], //[|Scaled Composites]//, accessed 2010-05-21.
 * 16) **[|^]** [|SpaceShipTwo Flown To Launch Altitude], //[|Aviation Week]//, 2010-05-20, accessed 2010-05-21.
 * 17) **[|^]** [|SS2 modifications], accessed 20105021.
 * 18) **[|^]** [|[1]], //Cosmic Log — SpaceShipTwo flies free for first time//, accessed 2010-10-10.
 * 19) **[|^]** [|SS2 Test Moves Virgin Closer to Goal], //[|Aviation Week]//, 2010-10-21, accessed 2010-10-23
 * 20) **[|^]** [|[2]]
 * 21) **[|^]** David, Leonard (2010-11-19). [|"Virgin Galactic's spaceship aces 3rd glide flight"]. [|MSNBC] . [] . Retrieved 2010-11-22 . "The privately built suborbital spacecraft was released Wednesday (Nov. 17) from its mothership the WhiteKnightTwo for the third time for a test flight high above the Mojave Air and Space Port in California."
 * 22) **[|^]** [|SS2 Glide Tests Exceed Expected Progress], //[|Aviation Week]//, 2010-12-23, accessed 2010-12-24.
 * 23) **[|^]** [|Virgin Galactic - News]
 * 24) **[|^]** [|New era draws closer: Spaceport dedicates runway on New Mexico ranch] //[|El Paso Times]//, 2010-10-23, accessed 2010-10-25. //"two-thirds of the $212 million required to build the spaceport came from the state of New Mexico... The rest came from construction bonds backed by a tax approved by voters in Doña Ana and Sierra counties.//"
 * 25) **[|^]** [|"MPs urged to back space tourism"]. BBC News. 2007-02-21 . [] . Retrieved 2007-04-06.
 * 26) **[|^]** [|"SpaceShipThree poised to follow if SS2 succeeds"]. Flight International. 2005-08-23 . [] . Retrieved 2007-04-06.
 * 27) **[|^]** Sophie Morrison (2006-09-30). [|"Buckled up for white knuckle ride"]. BBC News . [] . Retrieved 2007-04-06.
 * 28) **[|^]** [|"Rich Chinese buying tickets to space"]. Zee News . [] . Retrieved 2007-04-06.
 * 29) **[|^]** Anon. "Virgin Galactic's timetable for progress". Spaceflight (Volume 50, February 2008, page 48), British Interplanetary Society.
 * 30) **[|^]** [|"Richard Branson and Burt Rutan Form Spacecraft Building Company"]. [|SPACE.com]. 2005-07-27 . [] . Retrieved 2009-10-17.
 * 31) **[|^]** [|[3]] BBC News: Richard Branson unveils Virgin Galactic spaceplane
 * 32) **[|^]** []
 * 33) **[|^]** jnhtx (87543) (2006-07-30). [|"Notes on Rutan presentations at EAA Oshkosh"]. Slashdot . [] . Retrieved 2007-04-06.
 * 34) **[|^]** afp (2008-01-25). [|"Virgin's Branson presents new space ship"] . [] . Retrieved 2008-01-26.
 * 35) **[|^]** afp (2008-01-25). [|"Space travel set to take off"]. //The Times// (London) . [] . Retrieved 2008-01-26.
 * 36) **[|^]** Malik, Tariq (2008-01-23). [|"Virgin Galactic Unveils Suborbital Spaceliner Design"]. SPACE.com . [] . Retrieved 2008-01-25.
 * 37) **[|^]** [|"Virgin Galactic to Offer Public Space Flights"]. SPACE.com. September 27, 2004 . [] . Retrieved 2007-12-20.
 * 38) ^ [|//**a**//] [|//**b**//] Wilson, Simon (2008-01-21). [|"Will space tourism ever take off? !date=12 September 2006"]. [|MoneyWeek] . [] . Retrieved 2007-12-20.
 * 39) **[|^]** [|"One small step for space tourism... Private spaceflight"]. The Economist. December 18, 2004 . [] . Retrieved 2007-12-20.
 * 40) **[|^]** [|"Scale comparison chart of Spaceshipone and Spaceshiptwo"]. Gizmodo . [] . Retrieved 2007-04-06.

[[|edit]] External links

 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png width="30" height="40"]] || Wikimedia Commons has media related to: //**[|SpaceShipTwo]**// ||
 * [|Virgin Galactic]
 * [|Scaled Composites]
 * [|Information on Spaceship and Virgin] – spaceshiptwo.net
 * [|Formation of The Spaceship Company] – space.com
 * [|The Birth of SpaceShipTwo] – SpaceDaily
 * [|Virgin soars towards new frontier] – BBC News
 * [|Space or Bust: Feature article on space tourism] – Cosmos Magazine
 * [|Space Law in Paris] – Space Law Probe
 * [|Human spaceflight goes commercial] – BBC News
 * [|Videoblog of Wired NEXTFEST] – People With Ideas
 * [|CNET Images of SS2 mockups] – CNET News
 * [|NASA plans to hitch a lift on SpaceShipTwo] – Flight International, 2007-02-27; references "SpaceShipFour (SS4) that could serve as a satellite launcher"
 * [|Epic Enterprise Information Documentary about SpaceShip Two]