Virgin Galactic has entered space for the first time

Very well done by Virgin and Branson. Very impressive feat.

Whether or not they made it to space depends on whose definition of space that you use. They reached 51 miles which exceeds the measure of 50 miles that some folks use. Others use the more widely scientifically accepted measure of 62 miles of the Karman line. Though the video certainly looks like they were in space. I bet their next flight will reach that mark though so they can erase all doubt.

Regardless, pretty darn cool.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Very well done by Virgin and Branson. Very impressive feat.

Whether or not they made it to space depends on whose definition of space that you use. They reached 51 miles which exceeds the measure of 50 miles that some folks use. Others use the more widely scientifically accepted measure of 62 miles of the Karman line. Though the video certainly looks like they were in space. I bet their next flight will reach that mark though so they can erase all doubt.

Regardless, pretty darn cool.
Click to expand...

Saw this in an article concerning that:

Virgin Galactic said the test flight reached an altitude of 51.4 miles, or nearly 83 kilometers. The U.S. military and NASA consider pilots who have flown above 80 kilometers to be astronauts. The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Thursday that pilots Mark Stucky and C.J Sturckow would receive commercial astronaut wings at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. early next year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/13/vir...d-send-first-astronauts-to-edge-of-space.html
 
BrianNC said:
Saw this in an article concerning that:

Virgin Galactic said the test flight reached an altitude of 51.4 miles, or nearly 83 kilometers. The U.S. military and NASA consider pilots who have flown above 80 kilometers to be astronauts. The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Thursday that pilots Mark Stucky and C.J Sturckow would receive commercial astronaut wings at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. early next year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/13/vir...d-send-first-astronauts-to-edge-of-space.html
Click to expand...

Yep, I read that article. But if you google "Where does space begin", you will read that 62 miles (100km) is the more widely recognized measure and is the FAI standard and that the USA signed off on that many years ago. Why we choose to award astronaut wings for the lower altitude is unknown to me. I was surprised to learn that the FAA awards astronaut wings. I have never seen any regulatory language authorizing them. Still, an impressive feat and I do not mean to diminish it.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Yep, I read that article. But if you google "Where does space begin", you will read that 62 miles (100km) is the more widely recognized measure and is the FAI standard and that the USA signed off on that many years ago. Why we choose to award astronaut wings for the lower altitude is unknown to me. I was surprised to learn that the FAA awards astronaut wings. I have never seen any regulatory language authorizing them. Still, an impressive feat and I do not mean to diminish it.
Click to expand...


Next they will I pose an ADSB requirement on all space craft......
 
I am soooooo doing that in 20 or 25 years. One of the later Bucket list items to check off. It should be pretty routine by then.

Great video, and I love the slack-jawed expression of that little kid when the launcher/Unity took off. I remember seeing the TFRs around Mojave that day.
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
I am soooooo doing that in 20 or 25 years. One of the later Bucket list items to check off. It should be pretty routine by then.

Great video, and I love the slack-jawed expression of that little kid when the launcher/Unity took off. I remember seeing the TFRs around Mojave that day.
Click to expand...
Apparently, not everyone saw the notams--I heard a Bonanza call Mojave Tower requesting to transition through their airspace. The tower asked if he was aware of the TFR. The response was "Ah, no."
 
SoCal RV Flyer said:
I am soooooo doing that in 20 or 25 years. One of the later Bucket list items to check off. It should be pretty routine by then.

Great video, and I love the slack-jawed expression of that little kid when the launcher/Unity took off. I remember seeing the TFRs around Mojave that day.
Click to expand...

I think that kid might be one of Branson’s grandkids.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Yep, I read that article. But if you google "Where does space begin", you will read that 62 miles (100km) is the more widely recognized measure and is the FAI standard and that the USA signed off on that many years ago. Why we choose to award astronaut wings for the lower altitude is unknown to me. I was surprised to learn that the FAA awards astronaut wings. I have never seen any regulatory language authorizing them. Still, an impressive feat and I do not mean to diminish it.
Click to expand...

That’s the number that they used back in 2004 (Space Ship One) to win the X Prize as well.
 
Kinda badazz that they programmed a victory roll into the flight.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top