Tag: Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic confirms VSS Unity test flights
Virgin Galactic has confirmed that the next rocket-powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo Unity will be conducted on May 22, pending weather and technical checks. This follows the completion of a maintenance review of VMS Eve, the mothership jet aircraft which is designed to carry SpaceShipTwo to an altitude of approximately 50,000 feet. “Following a detailed…
Tech Digest daily round up: Apple in court over commission fees
Millions of Apple's UK customers should be compensated for breaches of competition law, a legal action claims. The case, filed with the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), alleges Apple's 30% commission on app sales is an abuse of dominance and unlawful. Organisers are aiming to include nearly 20 million UK users in the collective action,…
Virgin Galactic unveils mirrored space craft, VSS Imagine
Virgin Galactic has unveiled its third-generation spacecraft, the VSS Imagine. Finished in an entirely mirror-like material, the craft is designed to reflect the surrounding environment, allowing it to change colour and appearance as it travels from Earth to space. Virgin Galactic said the third generation of spaceships was “built to enable improved performance in terms…
Virgin Galactic reaches ‘weight on wheels’ milestone
Virgin Galactic has announced a major milestone in the build of its next spaceship. In a moment comparable to a ship taking to the water for the first time, the latest spaceship is now bearing its own weight in a stage of its assembly termed 'Weight on Wheels'. At this critical juncture, 80% of the…
Over 1 in 3 Brits think humans will live in space
More than a third of Britons believe humans will inevitably have to live in space due to the Earth becoming increasingly uninhabitable. While the public sector dominated space exploration in the 20th century, the space race this century has been revolutionised by the private sector. And it seems increasingly likely that people will look to…
Virgin Galactic commercial spaceport is operational
Virgin Galactic has said the world’s first specifically designed commercial spaceport is “operationally functional”. The company, owned by billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson, announced the transfer of all its spaceflight operations to Spaceport America in New Mexico on Thursday. Virgin Galactic had been carrying out test flights from Mojave, California – including the first successful…
Sir Richard Branson ‘ready to head into space’ after Virgin Galactic tests
Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson has said his spaceship has just a few more test flights before he jumps on board for the first tourist trip. The British billionaire celebrated his 69th birthday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre during 50th anniversary festivities for humanity’s first moon landing. His guests were 100 other aspiring astronauts…
Virgin Orbit hails test of air-launched satellite booster
Virgin Galactic’s sister company Virgin Orbit has conducted a drop test of its air-launched satellite booster over California in a key step towards space missions. The 70ft LauncherOne rocket was released from a Boeing 747 flying 35,000 feet over an Edwards Air Force Base test range in the Mojave Desert. The purpose of the test…
Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic to become first public space company
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is to become the first publicly traded company for human space travel after it announced a merger with a major investment vehicle. The company, which plans to offer multi-day trips to space, has announced a deal to combine with New York-listed Social Capital Hedosophia (SCH), led by former Facebook executive…
Sir Richard Branson announces Virgin Galactic move to New Mexico’s Spaceport America
At a press conference today at the New Mexico State Capitol Building in Santa Fe, Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson announced that Virgin Galactic’s development and testing program is to move from Mojave, California to Spaceport America, New Mexico. Virgin Galactic has partnered with New Mexico in an agreement which saw the state complete construction…
