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Space & Astronomy

Virgin Galactic reveals its new spaceship

By T.K. Randall
February 20, 2016 · Comment icon 20 comments

The vehicle was unveiled at a high-profile press event. Image Credit: YouTube / Virgin Galactic
Just 16 months after the loss of its predecessor, Virgin's new spaceship 'VSS Unity' has been revealed.
Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson was on hand yesterday at an event at the company's factory in Mojave, California to celebrate the unveiling of its latest creation - the VSS Unity - which also happens to be the first spaceship constructed by Virgin's own in-house design team.

"It's almost too good to be true, isn't it ?" Branson said at the event. "I've always believed that having the best-looking planes and trains in the world, while not a guarantee, is a good place to start."
The new vehicle replaces Virgin's previous suborbital spaceplane - the VSS Enterprise - which was lost during an ill-fated test flight which resulted in the death of a pilot back in November 2014.

While the VSS Unity will still need to go through several years of testing, its reveal has confirmed Virgin Galactic's continued dedication to offering the world's first commercial space flight service.



Source: The Guardian | Comments (20)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #11 Posted by skookum 9 years ago
Apparently, almost $400 million has been invested in the Virgin space plane. With six passengers per flight and at $0.25 million per ticket, the revenue from each launch will be $1.5 million. Assuming a 20% profit per flight ($0.3 million), there will need to be well over one thousand flights to break even. Obviously more than one space plane will be needed. But I guess it is optimism like that which has made Richard Branson so successful! And ideally 1000 flights free of any major incident.
Comment icon #12 Posted by Goodnite 9 years ago
That craft is one sexy beast.
Comment icon #13 Posted by Derek Willis 9 years ago
I would love to be a passenger someday, but not on the first, second or even third passenger flights. Maybe the 4th. Have the interest, but kind-of-a weenie with heights. Having no fear of heights is only one of the qualities required to become a Virgin Galactic astronaut - the other is having $0.25 million for a two hour thrill ride.
Comment icon #14 Posted by Derek Willis 9 years ago
There are almost 128,000 members of UM. We should crowd fund a flight on the Virgin Galactic space plane. All it would require is $2 each. I can think of one UM member who is very much qualified to be that astronaut ...
Comment icon #15 Posted by joonmoon999 9 years ago
Here I go!
Comment icon #16 Posted by DieChecker 9 years ago
There are almost 128,000 members of UM. We should crowd fund a flight on the Virgin Galactic space plane. All it would require is $2 each. I can think of one UM member who is very much qualified to be that astronaut ... Except only about 75 of them have over 100 posts and have come back for more then a month. EDIT: Actually there are about 1000 members who have over 1000 posts..... DANG!!!
Comment icon #17 Posted by Derek Willis 9 years ago
Except only about 75 of them have over 100 posts and have come back for more then a month. EDIT: Actually there are about 1000 members who have over 1000 posts..... DANG!!! Yeah, unfortunately that means $250 each. I somehow can't see it happening.
Comment icon #18 Posted by Waspie_Dwarf 9 years ago
If I sold my home I could afford a ticket... but I don't think my landlords would like it.
Comment icon #19 Posted by Derek Willis 9 years ago
If I sold my home I could afford a ticket... but I don't think my landlords would like it. You should go for it. You could tell your former landlords how honored they will be to have an astronaut as a former tenant. That may mitigate the sentencing of your fraud trial. Inspired by your suggestion, I have a plan. My wife knows it was a childhood ambition of mine to be an astronaut. I am building up the courage to tell her that if we move into a tent, she will have helped me fulfill my ambition.
Comment icon #20 Posted by Waspie_Dwarf 9 years ago
it was a childhood ambition of mine to be an astronaut. Mine too, once I had decided I didn't want to be a train driver.


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