Time to take a break from your candidate diaries, and see something very cool (and something that will have severe ramifications)
Today, Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites revealed to the world what SpaceShipTwo will look like. (Be warned, the pictures here are big, but very cool)
And wow, is it cool.
So, that is what SpaceShipTwo is going to look like. That alone was enough to surprise a lot of people, but what really surprised most of us (although there had been some noise about it) was what was in store for us with SpaceShipTwo's carrier aircraft, which is referred to as WhiteknightTwo.
Here you can see a comparison of SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo.
And if the computer images aren't enough for you, well then, why not check out the images of what SS2 and WK2 look like right now.
If you want to see all the images, and more, I suggest you visit the Virgin Galactic Web Site, that has all of the details. They have a lot there - more pictures, movies, transcripts, the works - one word of warning - the are getting a lot of hits, and the files are big, so it might take you a few minutes.
In addition, there were some things talked about at the press conference that I think should be noted. First, from Techcrunch
Although the flight rate will be low to start, the vehicle is designed to handle high flight rates several years from now. "The spaceship is being designed so that it can be flown twice a day and the launch plane can be flown three times a day," says designer Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites. Virgin Galactic has ordered five spaceships from Scaled Composites, with an option of seven more. Rutan predicts that if Virgin Galactic is able to build 40 to 45 spaceships over first twelve years, with 15 launch planes, they could fly 100,000 people in the first twelve years of operation.
Second, from the New York Times, we have this as well
Virgin has tested 80 of those customers for the ability to withstand the high-G forces of space flight by taking them for a centrifuge ride. Of the 80 — who included the scientist James Lovelock, who is 88, as well as people who have had heart bypass surgery and limb replacement — only two were unable to take the forces; the company asked three customers to put off flying.
Mr. Attenborough said that means the company’s initial premise — that one did not need to be in absolutely top physical shape to go to space — is sound.
"We’ve proved that ordinary people can go to space," he said, "and almost all of us have the right stuff."
It is reasons like this that 2008 is being called the year of the spaceship, and progressives/liberals/Democrats need to be aware of private spaceflight - it will changes things. And in a great way. And why we need to have some sessions about Space at Netroots Nation.
EDIT
Forgot one other thing - Clark Lindsey provides a nice round up of general thoughts and impressions. I wish I could provide more right now, but I am crunched for time, and almost didn't have time to post this short diary.