WK2/SS2 news from UK space conference

Rob Coppinger "twittered" from a conference today during a presentation by Will Whitehorn of Virgin Galactic : Live Twitter: Virgin Galactic @ UK space conference - Hyperbola

Some of the highlights in Rob's postings include:
/-- "Second 100 going through centrifuge. Now have $40 million in bank"
/-- "Spaceshiptwo is now almost finished and waiting for whiteknighttwo to fly"
/-- "WW says they have had high speed taxi runs with whiteknighttwo, first flight soon "
/-- "WW now expects Whiteknighttwo to go above 70,000ft"
/-- "WW expects external investors in late 2009, has already been approached by interested parties"
/-- "100kg to orbit with SS1 motor but much moe with improved rocket launched from whiteknightone"
/-- "Collaboration with NOAA to be used to calibrate a satellite to be launched next year"
/-- "Galactic has had up to 400 people asking about sending people's ashes into space"

I'm a bit surprised that SS2 is so far along. I thought they didn't restart work on it till this summer

Posted 12/04/08 | 08:42:31 by TopSpacer | Filed under: Transport Companies

Comments

SS2 in glider mode != SS2 with rocket motor.

I would not be surprised if SS2 Glider was ready to start testing, I would be shocked if SS2 with rocket motor was ready to start testing.

Posted by Paul Breed at 12/04/08 10:15:32

interesting WK2 is being expected to go to
70K. That's a lot more then WK1 was doing
and a lot more then they discussed
in preliminary design.

I suspect SS2 is undergoing performance
shortfalls or weight growth and they are
hoping to fix this with WK2.

Bad sign.

Better to dump 2 passengers, eat the revenue
hit (And it's abig hit), but, prove you can
fly, prove you have revenue, prove the ops model
and then move back into a SS2+.

Posted by anonymous at 12/04/08 14:08:24

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