E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Matt Rivera / msnbc.com
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson joins in on the acrobatics performed by the Project Bandaloop dance troupe during the dedication of Spaceport America's terminal/hangar facility.
British billionaire Richard Branson christened the world's first facility designed for private-sector space travel in grand style today, rappelling down the glass-sheathed side of Spaceport America's spaceship complex with a champagne bottle in hand.
Branson's acrobatics served as the climax of a spaceport dedication ceremony that also featured some aerobatics from the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane and its massive WhiteKnightTwo mothership. The double-plane flight system is designed to carry passengers to the edge of outer space from Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert. Branson's company, Virgin Galactic, could conceivably start passenger service on SpaceShipTwo in late 2012 or 2013, depending on how the flight tests go.
Branson and his children, Sam and Holly, popped up as surprise guest performers during a wall-walking dance staged by the California-based Project Bandaloop. The champagne bottle was lowered down to Branson on a rope. He uncorked the bottle and gave Spaceport America's alien-looking, 110,000-square-foot terminal/hangar facility a celebratory splash of bubbly. Then he declared that the building would be called the "Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space," and finished off the rites with a deep swig of champagne.
Matt Rivera / msnbc.com
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson sprays champagne from a bottle as he hangs from a rope along the side of Spaceport America's nearly completed terminal/hangar facility in New Mexico.
The Project Bandaloop dance troupe was the highlight of the "Gateway to Space" dedication ceremony.
When Branson was lowered to the ground, he told New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez that he hoped the performance would be "the first of many safe landings at Spaceport America."
Virgin Galactic's chief executive officer, George Whitesides, said it was Branson's idea to get in on the act, and Branson told me that no one rejected the idea. "I think they've given up trying to convince me not to do things," he said.
Today's ceremony drew hundreds of onlookers — including Martinez and other New Mexico politicians as well as Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin — to a site 30 miles east of Truth or Consequences, N.M., in an area so isolated that cellphone coverage was hard to come by. Spaceport director Christine Anderson joked that the $209 million facility might be out in the middle of nowhere, but it's a "beautiful middle of nowhere," set amid the San Andres Mountains.
Mark Greenberg / Virgin Galactic
Dancers perform acrobatics on the glass facade of Spaceport America's terminal/hangar facility, which was christened as the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space.
Among those in the audience were more than 150 spaceflight fans who have already put down deposits for SpaceShipTwo's $200,000 fare. Virgin Galactic says that, in all, it has taken more than 450 reservations for suborbital spaceflights. One of the would-be fliers, Namira Salim of Dubai, said that today's dedication marked "an exciting moment."
"It's not just about going into space — the dream of the common man," she told me. "It's so much more historic and significant. The development of the private space industry and the contribution that Virgin Galactic is making to private spaceflight will actually enable payloads, researchers, scientists, all kinds of people to go up to space."
Alan Stern, a space scientist at the Southwest Research Institute who has reserved his seat to conduct scientific experiments on SpaceShipTwo, said the rise of suborbital spaceships would be a "game-changer" for his field. Just last week, in fact, Virgin Galactic said it had worked out contract arrangements with NASA for up to three research flights on SpaceShipTwo, with a value of up to $4.5 million.
Virgin Galactic's flight plan calls for the WhiteKnightTwo carrier plane (also known as VMS Eve) to take SpaceShipTwo (also known as VSS Enterprise) up to a height of 50,000 feet, and then let it go to fire its rocket engine. The smaller plane would blast up to more than 62 miles (100 kilometers) in altitude, past the internationally accepted boundary of outer space. After a few minutes of experiencing weightlessness and gazing at the curving Earth, the riders would glide back to a landing at Spaceport America. The up-and-down trip would take about three hours in all.
Eventually, Branson plans to extend Virgin Galactic's reach to point-to-point suborbital flight as well as orbital outings. "This is a Virgin birth," he joked.
Frederic J. Brown / AFP - Getty Images
Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo carrier plane flies over Spaceport America in New Mexico with the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane nestled between its twin fuselages.
Matt Rivera / msnbc.com
The SpaceShipOne rocket plane is nestled between the twin fuselages of its WhiteKnightTwo carrier airplane.
During today's half-hour demonstration flight, SpaceShipTwo remained firmly attached to its carrier airplane, and the altitude was capped at about 10,000 feet. But the plane has already gone through 16 free-flying, unpowered glide tests at its Southern California test site — including one last month that was characterized as a "nail-biter." Sometime in the next year, SpaceShipTwo's developers at Scaled Composites are expected to begin powered tests with a hybrid rocket engine made by Sierra Nevada Corp.
Meanwhile, construction work will continue at Spaceport America. The facility is said to be more than 90 percent complete, and the exterior of the "Gateway to Space" bseems to be essentially finished. But lots of work remains to be done on the interior — particularly in the facility's terminal area, where the floors and the walls are little more than bare concrete and unadorned drywall. The hangar, which is designed to hold as many as two WhiteKnightTwo motherships and five SpaceShipTwos, seems cavernous today.
Matt Rivera / msnbc.com
Hundreds of visitors take their seats inside the spaceship hangar at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
Another year should make a big difference, both for the Gateway to Space's interior and for Branson's space aspirations. He's hoping to take a suborbital space trip on SpaceShipTwo with his family for Christmas in 2012. Does that sound too ambitious, coming from a guy who has just rappelled down a 60-foot-high building? You tell me, by registering your comments below.
Matt Rivera / msnbc.com
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson walks alongside the WhiteKnightTwo carrier airplane parked at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
More about commercial spaceflight:
- Private spaceship factory open for business
- PhotoBlog: Another look at Richard Branson's antics
- Slideshow: The making of SpaceShipTwo
- Gallery: Ten players in the commercial space race
Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding me to your Google+ circle.
Leave a Comment:
What a complete waste of money.
His money to waste.....And who knows it may create a job or two in the process
Lol......not anyone that does not have more than they can spend, the only one getting a job here is already on a first name basis. Without a MIT or CIA , No one on our level will ever see anything out of this except headache........I see Bailout coming
Are you really that dumb, or are you just being facetious? I'm sure that you realize that a bailout could never be justified for an industry for which you could not make the argument that it is critical to the economy... A fledgeling space industry certainly does not fit that bill. As it happens, I live near Scaled Composites, the company that designed and built these spacecraft and I happen to know some very ordinary people that are gainfully employed by them and guess what? They aren't on a first name basis with Richard Branson and they don't have more money than they can spend. Really, hal-1016688 you are so stupid.
Gee if it was up to some of these posters we'd still be using stone knives and wearing bear skins. No No why invent the wheel just so the wealthy can use it.
Duh.
Nothing wrong with stone knives and bearskins......they're very low maintenance..........
No, not his money. The state (i.e., the taxpayers) of New Mexico kicked in the lion's share, thanks to the grandstanding of Bill Richardson. SOB saddled us with 20-year bonds to pay for his publicity-stunt projects. There was so much anti-Richardson sentiment when he left office that we elected a Republican for governor. If you know New Mexico, that's saying something.
The Spaceport has the same funding structure as airports. Just because Virgin Galactic is the most high profile operation does not mean that it is the only one. There are already vertical launches in progress and a number of companies as well as NASA will be active there. It is also a striking facility that will have ongoing tourism outside of those going to space including activities suitable for children. It is likely to bring plenty of business back to the people of New Mexico. That is certainly the intention.
I'll be curious to see who the first casualties of this venture are going to be. I say this because this is a first and the craft is still in its development stages so the likelihood is that one of these babies is going to malfunction or re-entry and that's when we will be reading about how a truck load of rich folks burned up or got blown to pieces over the New Mexico desert. I do not want this to happen but the odds are that it will only because this is a new craft and they still haven't worked out all of the bugs. Think about it, if NASA had its issues and they had legions of experts working on their fleet of crafts, why would these guys fare any better. Time will tell. As for Richard Branson, he is a cool guy and has done some pretty cool things so for his sake and the sake of the rich folks that want bragging rights to say they were up in space I hope all goes well.
There may be mishaps, but they won't burn up. This ship is suborbital, so it doesn't get anywhere near the speeds that dictate a hot reentry.
Nut case...what a upstaging clown
Until Virgin Galactic can orbit, like Elon Musk's Space X has, it is a mere side-show!
People like this are needed because Obummer has gutted the US space program.
This is a step in the right direction, and hopefully one day, every american will be able to affor this wonderful experience. This isnt about the rich forming their own sort of club, no, this is about gaining funding and letting the truely dumb rich waste their money. Hell,ten years from now the flights might be only $500, making the ones who queue now look even dumber.
Think about it, with $500 a pop for a truely unforgettable experience, your business will boom like rabbits with aphrodesiacs (spelling isn't great but point is proven.) To me, reducing the cost over time to let more in and get more money seems to be true capitalism, the real reason why I fell inlove with this country when I first arrived here!
At least they've got the right idea: suborbital flights and, for that matter, low-Earth orbital flights, are for entertainment, not science. Let NASA concentrate on the real science (space-based telescopes, robotic missions to the planets and their moons), and leave the manned stuff to the entertainment industry, where it belongs. This is a welcome development.
As Obi wan Kenobi might say, "Virgin Galactic Spaceport. You will never find a more wealthy hive of wannabe daredevils. We must be cautious..."
Too bad the prices aren't low enough for 'real' people to fly into space, yet... ;-)
pay half now, the other half when you reach Alderaan
I did not read much on Branson outside of his adventurous ways. He seams to be one that creates jobs instead of buying and selling at the expense of jobs and lively hoods LIKE OUR COUNTRY DOES. Then I might be wrong?
So go for it BRANSON!!! Your style innovates and creates. If that is truly your goal?
Its rather obvious who has no clue what private enterprise is about or how the most important technology in the world today came to be. I'll give those of you who fit the category a hint: it wasn't the government who came up with it. Even "government funded" projects are fulfilled by private sector innovators. (Ie,. military technology, communications, "green energy," etc.)
Congrats to Branson for sticking with it. Hope he makes a ton of money for the great contribution to society around the globe.
Heeeeey...Thaaaat's greaaaat....
He is probley not spending 25.000.00 for a hammer or 500.00 for a paper clip if the tax payer isnt paying for this he should be commened and how is it a waste he has to buy his materials from some one
You forget something Morius, Branson is not an American, he is British. As to the whole private space industry, I wish it success, but honestly I don't think it will amount to much more than just low orbit space tourism.
not jealous of success using ugly stereotypes is a typical strategy used by someone who gains from others loss. Typical of the rich I'm entitled attitude and you lose mentality. It is this attitude that is raping the planet and causing unnecessary suffering of all species on the planet including humans. When the collapse comes you may be the one who loses.
For all of you that are whining about rich people wasting money, and that they'll be the only ones able to afford to fly to space, I guess you've never actually flown in an airplane? Sure, the Wright brothers pioneered the technology with planes they built in their bike shop, but it took people with a LOT more money to make the enterprise commercially viable. For a while it was pretty much just the rich who could afford to fly. Now there are very affordable flights with enough money left over for us little guys to actually do something at the other end of the flight.
I guess what I'm saying is- "Hooray! We actually have a commercial spaceport! Someday it might actually be affordable for me, a guy that currently makes about $25K a year, to actually go to space!"
This guy seems rather ambitious. Maybe he can make this work, but if not, there's nothing served by stubbornly testing the odds....sci-fi dreams have displaced common sense more and more, and that worries me. It's far better to work within the confines of observable, measurable phenomena based on physics.
I really hope they will abandon this if the tests say to abandon it. No sense in taking up passengers if it's not proven safe by acceptable standards. There's no use in putting lives at risks on something like this.
If this is what makes headlines today, i can't wait to see what makes headlines tomorrow. This is just a first step in a burgeoning commercial space sector that needs to be woven into an integrated web of space application development in robotics, improved over time for a more cost effective access to space, and it must be a time of incredible innovation to realize there's alot more that could be done in space with a strong commercial/private sector foundation. These sub-orbital flights may just be a small step for what we would like to achieve in the future on the moon, Mars, and the asteroid belts. Space Ships that can launch into space from the edge of space (injection orbit), land or glide to the surface of the planets, or navifation through asteroid belts. Ideally the global economy should be driven commercially toward space development. We should be building space stations as large and fantastic as any sci-fi series or computer games have envisioned and we could do that. By that time we will be extracting resources from the moon and mars and have established cargo space lanes transporting resources from the moon to a much larger globally owned space station that will employ several job sectors on earth to maintain, supply and manage such a globally shaped future in space, and doing that in a way as though we were expecting a visit from another alien civilization. With the detection of hundreds and even thousands of more planets yet to be discovered there is a likelihood we may discover intelligent life not much different from us.
The article was about a very successful business man, and it degenerates to name calling - Whether Branson is a robber baron or a entrepenur the bottom line is his visions provide jobs - for folks who build his ships, for folks to build the buildings, for folks that work in those ships and buildings and if there are folks lining up to ride in his ships - what of it? We live in a world run on commercialism. You have a product / service I want, I am willing to pay you in paper or services for that product /service. We know from history that socialism and communism don't work - they look good on paper, but due to the make up of the human condion, it doesn't work in the real world. - As for Branson, he keeps the dream of space travel alive and kicking when NASA is a former shell of it's glory days - and if space travel shifts from governments to the private sector - what of it? If any of you nay sayers gets a great idea and makes a bundle on it, like Branson did - I don't think that any of you will be handing it out to those without that great idea.
I am hoping he will invest in a space elevator next
Easy does it! Hold the jealousy and sarcasm! This is just one more step toward NGO activity all along the Hi-Frontier. It may be an elitist aerial stunt today but FF a hundred years and space access will be common. All 'yunz' unemployed today, your descendants will be in hi demand for all manner of space related, top dollar job specialties: hvac techs, communications repair specialists, vehicle maintenence mechanics, free grav construction techs, shuttle pilots, this list of potentrial opportunities can be extended as far as imagination can push it. If you were Branson, wouldn't you do the same? Take it from Buzz LightYear! To the future and beyond. And don't forget: The future is ahead of us!
I’ve been saving my money since I was a senior in High School when Spaceship One won the X-prize and the same day the formation of virgin galactic was announced. I'm up to about 25k and this money is earmarked for a ride on spaceship two. It will be the single greatest experience in my life. With my new job I hope to have 200k in roughly 7 years so I can do this. To go to space even the very edge is something people before us never realistically dreamed of and roughly 500 people have actually accomplished. As a science nerd growing up, this is the ultimate dream, My Ultimate dream. And I hope to achieve it Multiple times. And as wildly extravagant as it is, I could care less. I WILL do this in my life time, and even just being able to say this, brings a tear to my eye.
You DA man Jon D !! as the journey song says.....Don't stop believin'!!
You can do it! It is just a matter of priorities. I learned long ago that experiences are the best use of money. They stick with you for a lifetime.
I'm already a Mile High Club member, I wonder if I can get into the Zero-G club ;-)
To Ran Ran:
It is not just the super rich who can make this flight. No one would bat an eye if a middle class person invests in a $400,000 house instead of a $200,000 house in his 50's after a lifetime of work. A middle income person can save enough if this is a priority. How do I know? Because I am there and I never made more than $80,000 a year, and that only much later in my career. But sharing cheap housing for years after college, driving cars to 150,000 miles, finding bargains, never being an early acquirer (I still don't have cable TV!), and saving aggressively from an early age allowed my money's earnings to eventually surpass my own. It is a matter of priorities. This is a lifelong dream and I am grateful to those willing to invest in an untried business to make this even a possibility in my lifetime.