Do you want to fly to space on VSS Enterprise?

Do you want to fly to space on VSS Enterprise?

  • Yes, I want to fly to space on VSS Enterprise.

    Votes: 41 97.6%

  • No, I don't want to fly to space on VSS Enterprise.

    Votes: 1 2.4%
  • Total voters
    42
  • Poll closed .
AuntPeggy

AuntPeggy

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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.

Following 50–100 test flights, the first paying customers are expected to fly aboard the craft in 2011. 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". In addition to making suborbital passenger launches, Virgin Galactic will market SpaceShipTwo for suborbital space science missions.
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If you had the money, or if tickets were given to you, would you want to fly to space on VSS Enterprise?
 
So, have they submitted a Type Certificate yet? You can't charge people to fly on Experimentals, can you?
 
JeffDG said:
So, have they submitted a Type Certificate yet? You can't charge people to fly on Experimentals, can you?
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No, they have had one test flight so far as I know. They just opened the spaceport. (Don't tell TSA.)
 
I want to but my wife would kill me in a very slow and very painful way if I spend $250K on it.

I have a couple of years to decide if it's worth it.

Joe
 
Sure, why not? I've always liked living on the edge.

-Rich
 
I'd like to go but would want to wait for the third (successful) flight. I'll happily wait for them to work out the bugs and then go before things start wearing out.
 
JeffDG said:
So, have they submitted a Type Certificate yet? You can't charge people to fly on Experimentals, can you?
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You can, if the powered ascent is some small part of the flight, or some such formulation. SS2 simply is not an airplane for regulatory purposes, it's a spaceship. So, it will not have a type certificate. However, WK2 is an airplane, and the certificate issue may nix the plans to carry passengers on it. Perhaps that story is what makes people ask about the certification in context of Scaled/TSC/VG. That, and Burt's pro-FAA position, certainly. I know a few of his competitors were livid, and no doubt they salivate at the perspective of Burt being hoisted upon his own petard wrt. the certifications.

-- Pete
 
gismo said:
I'd like to go but would want to wait for the third (successful) flight. I'll happily wait for them to work out the bugs and then go before things start wearing out.
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Now where is your sense of adventure?
 
Most definitely would take that ride. But if spending the $250K on that prevented me from affording a vacation on the ISS, I'd have to pass. :D
 
If I was offered a ride on SpaceShip Two I'd be gone so fast that the vacuum would carry you with me!! :cornut:
 
gismo said:
I'd like to go but would want to wait for the third (successful) flight. I'll happily wait for them to work out the bugs and then go before things start wearing out.
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Why 3rd flight? It took 25 for the Space Shuttle to get a bug worked out, and then another 75 or so to "work" out another bug. Space flight isn't simple, people will eventually die. Perhaps not on SS2, because of it's suborbital nature, but it will happen. Not if, but when.
 
gismo said:
I'd like to go but would want to wait for the third (successful) flight. I'll happily wait for them to work out the bugs and then go before things start wearing out.
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Sounds like my advice about migrating to new versions of Windows...

-Rich
 
If the tickets were free, yes - in a heartbeat.

If I had the money in my 'aviation' budget, I would find something else aviation-related to spend it on.... DC3 type rating... P51 checkout... B17 checkout... etc.
 
EdFred said:
Let me rephrase...if I am not in charge, I am not going.
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So, when you get on a 747 do you go up front and say "Stand aside, boys, I'm flying"?

I'd want to go, but to be honest it doesn't sound all that interesting to me when compared to a lot of things I can do on this here planet.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
So, when you get on a 747 do you go up front and say "Stand aside, boys, I'm flying"?

I'd want to go, but to be honest it doesn't sound all that interesting to me when compared to a lot of things I can do on this here planet.
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I've never been on a 747. ;)

I've only flown commercial once while I've had my own plane, and I do not plan on ever doing so again while I can fly myself there. If I can't get there in my plane, I don't really have a desire to go there.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Why 3rd flight? It took 25 for the Space Shuttle to get a bug worked out, and then another 75 or so to "work" out another bug. Space flight isn't simple, people will eventually die. Perhaps not on SS2, because of it's suborbital nature, but it will happen. Not if, but when.
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Mostly an emotional conclusion. If the first flight is successful it may have been a fluke. Two in a row means they were really lucky or the odds were good. I'd get impatient and wouldn't want to delay too long lest someone revoke my flight pass and eventually something that was working OK will wear out and break.
 
EdFred said:
I've never been on a 747. ;)

I've only flown commercial once while I've had my own plane, and I do not plan on ever doing so again while I can fly myself there. If I can't get there in my plane, I don't really have a desire to go there.
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I've had the desire and/or need to go to various places in Asia and while it might be an interesting adventure I doubt that flying my own airplane there would have worked out well from various perspectives.
 
I would happily fly on the first, second, or any subsequent flights on this or any other space ship. I would be even more happy to fly as pilot, but the probability of my doing either is mathematically indistinguishable from zero.
 
I would do it for $25, $250 or even $2,500, but not for $250,000. I would have no problem being a passenger. Sometimes it's nice to just ride along and look at the scenery.
 
Everskyward said:
I would do it for $25, $250 or even $2,500, but not for $250,000. I would have no problem being a passenger. Sometimes it's nice to just ride along and look at the scenery.
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Well, at least you don't have to worry much about see-and-avoid...:ihih:
 
EdFred said:
I've never been on a 747. ;)

I've only flown commercial once while I've had my own plane, and I do not plan on ever doing so again while I can fly myself there. If I can't get there in my plane, I don't really have a desire to go there.
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gismo said:
I've had the desire and/or need to go to various places in Asia and while it might be an interesting adventure I doubt that flying my own airplane there would have worked out well from various perspectives.
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The vast majority of my travels on business are such that a C-182 would just not do the job. That, and my employer prohibits GA (other than our shuttles) on company business. My trip to Taiwan last week would not have happened without those large pressurized aluminum mailing tubes. Much as I'm tired of them, they are unavoidable at times.
 
My job does not require me, nor will it probably ever require me, to go overseas. I wasn't speaking for everyone else.
 
gismo said:
I've had the desire and/or need to go to various places in Asia and while it might be an interesting adventure I doubt that flying my own airplane there would have worked out well from various perspectives.
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Same. I had to go to a funeral in Belgium in September. As much as I would have prefered the Aztec to the 767, I took the latter because it fit the needs.

I've flown about 500 hours GA this year, and I still take commercial sometimes. It just doesn't always make sense to fly yourself.
 
I want to go. Conditions apply: bring or hook up with SO to uh, run experiments. And she pays. Elsewise, I'm in.
 
How would you put that on the places you've been map?
 
I'd love to fly into space period. I was hoping we'd be mining asteroids for metals by now...
 
JesseD said:
I'd love to fly into space period. I was hoping we'd be mining asteroids for metals by now...
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If it wasn't for the greed factor cutting nasa's throat, we probably would, or at least would be snooping around out there. As it stands, we're barely capable of limping into low earth orbit...and we're shutting that operation down for a while.

At least the robots are having fun...for now.
 
I'm mesmerized with the whole project. I think it's the biggest thing after Sputnik flight unfolding right before our eyes. Finally some progress in space exploration. Would I spend 250K - no, but I'd even go outside if they let me sit on the wing for free :)
 
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