Virgin Atlantic Licensing SpaceShipOne 207
Tigerquoll writes "According to the Australian Broadcasting Commission, British airline magnate Richard Branson has announced a plan for the world's first commercial space flights and has signed a technology licensing deal with Mojave Aerospace Ventures - the US company behind SpaceShipOne. See scaled composites' media release and the Virgin Galactic website"
Branson? Makes sense (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Branson? Makes sense (Score:2, Interesting)
I think Branson should concentrate on the 19th century technology of trains and get that right before moving into the 21st century.
Re:Branson? Makes sense (Score:2)
Virgin Trains was, perhaps, not the best idea since the British government still handled the maintenance and still did a poor job as I recall.
In this case, if you like the SpaceShipOne people, that's where most of the money's going to. Virgin is just the marketing company. They'll probably handle things like reservations just fine, and Branson's about the best promoter there is.
I suspect the "low" price for space tourism is based on Mr Branson
Re:Branson? Makes sense (Score:2, Funny)
Don't do it!!! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
or on slashdot, a woman maybe? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Branson? Makes sense (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Branson? Makes sense (Score:2)
Meanwhile, at Virgin Atlantic, the webmaster says: (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Meanwhile, at Virgin Atlantic, the webmaster sa (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Meanwhile, at Virgin Atlantic, the webmaster sa (Score:2)
I wouldn't call it newly launched. The Virgin card was launched in either late 2001 or early 2002, IIRC. My company was in discussions with Virgin and ANB to do the card, but in the end they went with one of our competitors.
Re:Meanwhile, at Virgin Atlantic, the webmaster sa (Score:5, Interesting)
If so, he plans pretty far in advance:
Re:Meanwhile, at Virgin Atlantic, the webmaster sa (Score:5, Insightful)
Branson is a master of PR, and I wouldn't be remotely surprised if this venture gets quietly binned, once its provided its much needed channels to allow Branson time to plug his newly launched credit card
He's also a successful entrepreneur to the tune of billions, so I wouldn't write him off that quickly. He must be doing something right.
When he started an airline (Virgin Atlantic) people aired similar doubts. When British Airlines realised he was serious they threw every dirty trick in the book at him... but they got smacked down in the courts when Branson proved they were operating an effective monopoly (a situation close to slashdot readers' hearts).
Despite extensive industrial sabotage, Virgin launched the worlds prototype discount airline, which to date has been massively successful. Virgin Blue, the australian arm of the business, has captured a third of the domestic market from Qantas within a few years. All the while Virgin has dominated another form of air travel with Virgin Balloons. But I'm sure that was a ploy to sell plastic credit too.
Naive spin-master or visionary benefactor? I think Branson's record speaks for itself.
Virgin not the first (Score:3, Informative)
Actually, it was Freddy Laker's 'Skytrain [wikipedia.org]' launched in 1973 that was the first no-frills airline. You turned up at the airport like at a train station, no advance booking, food for sale on the plame if you want it, or bring your own fish & chips. Laker found himself falling victim to dirty tricks from BOAC, (a forerunner of British Airways) that put him out of business. I remember a documentary showing Branson talking to Laker years later when BA
Re:Meanwhile, at Virgin Atlantic, the webmaster sa (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually Virgin is not a discount airline, it's a traditional carrier with a simple network, and so greater control over its costs. As another poster has noted, Branson's competition is the entrenched large airlines such as BA and AA who had it their own way for too long.
Having said that, he doesn't seem to want to compete *too* hard - I just had a look at a flight LHR(28th)->JFK, overnight stay, return next day, cheapest seats: BA £8
Re:Meanwhile, at Virgin Atlantic, the webmaster sa (Score:2)
Re:Meanwhile, at Virgin Atlantic, the webmaster sa (Score:3, Informative)
Oh yeah, which ones?
I can count the number of countries that have demonstrated, cheap suborbital capability today on my nose. It's one, the USA, and it only has this capability courtesy of Burt Rutan and his financial backer Paul Allen. The US otherwise currently has no manned launch capability at all, suborbital or otherwise. The X-15 would have been perfect for cheap suborbital flights, but I don't know if
Space travel in my lifetime :-) (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd always regretted not doing the quick flight to NY from London (not that I could afford it!), even with tiny seats. I'm told it was just about possible to pop over the pond, do your xmas shopping in a different continent, and pop back the next day (same day was possible but left little time for shopping...) Let's just hope that the space-flights stimulate some competition, unlike Concorde, because then the next goal would quickly become 'lunar city'...
I think that 'Virgin Galactic' is hopelessly optimistic, though, given that it's sub-orbital. I'm guessing people won't really want the 'galactic' version, and a return ticket might be a bit superfluous...
Simon
Re:Space travel in my lifetime :-) (Score:5, Interesting)
Fortunately for you, the Japanese [spacefuture.com] have been eying this industry for quite some time. And quite frankly, I'm putting my money on the culture that presently makes: The world's fastest super computer, the most reliable cars, the most advanced communication technology, etc...
These guys are in it to win and Virgin won't be able to charge $190K because the Japanese will be there offering $185K, or some other competitive number that would make it cheaper to fly vial JAL to Tokyo instead of Virgin to London.
Re:Space travel in my lifetime :-) (Score:2)
Ah, but have you ever flown Virgin? I've never been treated so well on an airline as a Virgin trans-atlantic. I'm sure there are anecdotal horror stories that folks will post as replies (unavoidable in the airline industry). So Virgin Galactic might get my money for a suborbital trip, if it mimics what you can expect
Re:Huh? (Score:3, Interesting)
Are you kidding? There's little revolutionary about Rutan's design, apart from the fact that it was privately built. What's so special about polybutadine as a fuel? What's so special about nitrous as an oxidizer? What's so special about a launch-at-altitude? You might get some points for the shuttlecock wings, but that's about it.
How much does Rutan's ship cost to operate? He adimantly refuses to say. They won't even say exactly how much
Re:Space travel in my lifetime :-) (Score:4, Insightful)
In Thornton Wilder's play, Our Town, there is a memorable quote: "It takes life to love life." As an example, it's one thing to read about a roller coaster ride, to see the pictures, and to hear the tales of others who have experienced it. But, to be there yourself, to take that and to feel that energy and excitment for which no words or pictures can simulate - there is nothing that comes close to knowing for yourself.
Commerical space flights might not be anything that would be anywhere nearly as affordable as commerical flights of today at least relatively speaking within my lifetime. I might end up being a very old man by the time that they do. Aside of the excite of seeing our planet from such an amazing view point, I am sure that the sheer speed of being able to get from one place to another will become yet another convenience - a luxury of future life. I just hope that there is competition so that the prices will be competitive and thus the flights will not remain an experience only for a priviledged few.
Re:Space travel in my lifetime :-) (Score:2)
Either that, or he's planning about 1000 years ahead...
Simon
Re:Space travel in my lifetime :-) (Score:2)
Insurance cost ? (Score:5, Interesting)
I mean, there are stats which help defining the cost of a plane travel insurance but there ain't such stats concerning commercial flights...
Re:Insurance cost ? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Insurance cost ? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Insurance cost ? (Score:2)
Re:Insurance cost ? (Score:2)
Name of the new ship (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Name of the new ship (Score:2)
Appropriate that geeks will be able to go where no geek has gone before aboard the Virgin Space Ship Enterprise....
Re:Name of the new ship (Score:3, Funny)
foward planning! (Score:3, Interesting)
Created on..............: Wed, May 08, 2002
Now there's some foward planning!
Re:foward planning! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:foward planning! (Score:2)
Re:foward planning! (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/1999/0705/6401140a.h
Don't forget the long term plans! (Score:5, Interesting)
-Sir Richard Branson
From bbc [bbc.co.uk]
Re:Don't forget the long term plans! (Score:5, Insightful)
Am I a hopeless geek who needs therapy or does reading that quote from Branson bring a genuine tear of emotion to anyone else's eye?
That such a thing has taken one very real step closer to realisation in my lifetime is - quite literally - awesome.
Re:Don't forget the long term plans! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Don't forget the long term plans! (Score:2, Insightful)
It's like those damned flying cars. Since the 40s, flying cars have been "5 years away!" You'll be able to buy one "5 years from now!" You can fly above the crowded freeways in luxury!
No one tears up for flying cars... you know why? Because despite being promised every decade for the last 65 years, it's never happened. I've never been abl
Re:Don't forget the long term plans! (Score:2)
You cannot blame the FCC for this. There are several homebuilt flying cars and I'm sure all of them are licensed or they wouldn't be allowed to use airports, which they do - they trailer the wings, fuselage, and tail section, which are attached at the airport.
The sole reason that you don't have a flying car is that no one is selling one. It has nothing to do with the FAA. No one is selling one beca
This is just great! (Score:4, Interesting)
Since 7 AM, I feel like I'm living a book by Arthur C. Clarke. I've been waiting for this since I was a kid. I've just been repeating the company name over and over in my head:
Virgin Galactic Spacelines.
Wow.
Oh - and it seems they have a website...be sure to check it out! [virgingalactic.com]
Better yet (Score:2)
This newly born industry needs talents to bloom. Ask yourself what you can do to help.
Pan Am Space Clipper Reservations ? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Pan Am Space Clipper Reservations ? (Score:2)
Licensing seems inexpensive relative to other cost (Score:4, Interesting)
The licensing deal with M.A.V. could be worth up to £14 million ($21.5 million) over the next fifteen years depending on the number of spaceships built by Virgin.
The development alone of the technology is predictably high:
It is expected that around £60 million ($100 million) will be invested in developing the new generation of spaceships and ground infrastructure required to operate a sub orbital space tourism experience.
The revenue for flights seems about what one would expect:
Over five years Virgin expects to create around 3000 astronauts and the price per seat on each flight, which will include at least three days of pre-flight training, are expected to start at around £115,000 ($190,000).
So, given all of these numbers, doesn't $21M for a license seem low?
-erick
Re:Licensing seems inexpensive relative to other c (Score:3, Insightful)
And I suspect that they are counting on Virgin to come back and order increasingly more and larger spaceships.
Jeroen
Re:Creating 3000 astronauts (Score:2, Insightful)
This is technological progress... (Score:4, Interesting)
train carriages tilt while travelling along a curve at 150 miles/hour, and taking 15 minutes off the travel time [bbc.co.uk], it's only
a small step to having reusable space craft running shuttle flights to and from Mars.
Re:This is technological progress... (Score:4, Informative)
Re:This is technological progress... (Score:2)
During the 80's I worked as a programmer on RAVERS (Rail Vehicle Records) which was BR's system for logging its movable assets. Interestingly there was (if I remember correctly) four records for ATPs on the live system, despite the fact that only one or two prototypes had been officialy produced.
Re:This is technological progress... (Score:2)
Re:This is technological progress... (Score:2)
Offtopic (Score:2)
This was almost as amusing as the system they have in Virgin music stores called "ELVIS" and we would be similarly amused to hear that "ELVIS had gone down".
Re:Offtopic (Score:2)
BR was the strangest place to work, not least because half the staff seemed to be made up of train spotters. Mates of mine at the IT centre at Crewe had it particularly bad because the building was at the end of one of the platforms so those 'lucky' programmers with a window view could add to their tick list while 'working'.
so what? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:so what? (Score:4, Funny)
At that time, they will have accrued enough cash and guts to build a hotel in orbit. They'll advertise the scenic view, but hint at the zero-G beds. When that wears off, there's the moon. By the time we get to Mars, we'll probably have the technology to get there fast enough and then the solar system's in our back yard. But not Europa. We'll attempt no landings there.
All these worlds are yours... (Score:2)
But then how will we get the mile-long diamonds?
Sex in Space (Score:2)
But that is just me, I think.
Can't get to the hotel, yet (Score:3, Informative)
'America Space Prize' $50 mil.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0409/27bige
for the first one that comes up with an orbital thingy to visit Bigelows
Australian Broadcasting Commission (Score:2, Interesting)
Forget tourism! (Score:5, Insightful)
I think that's the point (Score:2)
Virgin tend to show sound commercial sense, I suspect the tagline of pleasure flights to orbit is a cover for development of more efficient long-haul aircraft which travel outside the atmosphere
Re:Forget tourism! (Score:2)
You might be right, but I think the major advantage here would be fuel economy. I would imagine that if the craft were to operate in a similar fashion to ICBM's (roughly parabolic trajectory, with the apex being far into the upper atmosphere), the fuel efficiency might be somewhat better than a traditional aircraft since the re-entry leg of the trip is little more than a matter of gl
Air Miles (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Air Miles (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Air Miles (Score:2)
Vigin this, Vigin that... (Score:2)
Stay at the Vigin hotel.
Catch the Virgin Plane, and cross the Atlantic.
All the while, drinking your Vigin cola and listening to Virgin music on the Vigin radio station.
And then fly the Vigin spaceship.
Are there any high-profile industries that Mr. Branson doesn't plan to get involved with?
Re:Vigin this, Vigin that... (Score:2)
Sounds like Trump this, Trump that.
At least Mr. Branson had the taste to come up with a company name that was not his own.
Re:Vigin this, Vigin that... (Score:4, Interesting)
I have always thought of Branson as a "Nice Guy" yes, he has his finger in a few pies. But it seems to me that when he takes on a loss making public service (british transport ) and makes a good stab at turning it around for the better of the people.... I Just get the impression that his heart is in the right place. I will never forgive the lottery commision in the UK for not awarding it to branson; who promised that all of the money made from ticket sales would go to deserving causes rather than the percentage (whatever that is) that Camelot give away.
Nick
Re:Vigin this, Vigin that... (Score:2)
3 Hours?? (Score:2, Funny)
For all the naysayers out there (Score:3, Interesting)
Little Joe 1 - August 21, 1959 - test of launch escape system during flight, first flight of the Mercury program.
Apollo 11 - July 20, 1969 - Landing on the Moon.
One of the most incredible and awe-inspiring achievements of the XXth century, and I'm saying this when I'm not even American. If it were started from scratch today, everyone would think it would simply be impossible.
You may say that a lot of resources were sunk into this, for sure. However large private interests have even more money than governments these days.
If I had Bill Gates' fortune this is the thing I would do. Get back to the Moon, establish a small base, restart the Orion program from there, mine the outer planets for He3, go to the stars. Would $40B be enough? I don't know. It's the most responsible thing to do if we want to survive as a species.
Re:For all the naysayers out there (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:For all the naysayers out there (Score:2)
It's the most responsible thing to do if we want to survive as a species.
Why do you have to leave the planet to survive? You have a much better chance if you stay here and fix the problems locally rather than running away. 'Cause you know... no matter where you go, there you are.
Re:For all the naysayers out there (Score:2, Insightful)
You're forgetting that the biggest threat to us as a species may not come from ourselves. A strike by a large asteroid or comet could easily doom humankind. If we're all sitting here on Earth, that's it. If we've left the cradle, some will survive. Remember it's not a question of if this will happen, it's simply a matter of when.
Only one minor problem here (Score:3, Insightful)
These days, there is no Enemy that we must race to space to beat, thus there isn't an incentive to spend exorbitant amounts of money. The recent efforts (X-Prize, etc.) have mainly been in the arena of taking spaceflight and bringing the
Step 0 (Score:2, Interesting)
the announcement is step 0. step 1 involves clearing all of the government obstacles. but according to popular /. opinion, that is the one thing that sir branson is obviously quite good at.
if they succeed with step 1, then us geeks can get excited in earnest. step 2 will be development and testing. should be no problem given the monies involved. then of course, in step 3 we'll see many, very rich people fulfilling their lifelong dreams. the rest of us
Re:Step 0 (Score:2, Insightful)
This is indeed a possibility, and maybe even probable unless during the period of step 3, further development and testing is conducted to lower the cost of suborbital flights. If that occurs, then the rest of us may get suborbital for the cost of a car, while the super-rich get an orbiting hotel, and on from there.
If anyone can do it,
Since no-one else has done this... (Score:2, Funny)
The Trekkie Factor? (Score:2)
VSS Enterprice
(Virgin Space Ship)
Nick
Astronaut wings (Score:5, Insightful)
How much do you want to bet that the requirements for receiving your wings will be raised by 100km or so?
Chip H.
Re:Astronaut wings (Score:2)
For those who can't afford the $200,000 (Score:2)
Concorde (Score:2, Informative)
I think Sir Richard could have done a good job of restoring Concorde to its former glory. SpaceShipOne is just his latest go-fast toy.
After all Branson speding a billion to play with his toys (SpaceShipOne, Concorde) is no different than any hobby we may have. Of course it is a billion, but overall it's a small percentage of his assets.
VSS Enterprise? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:VSS Enterprise? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:VSS Enterprise? (Score:3, Interesting)
The name "USS Enterprise" has a long and distinguished history going all the way back to the administration of George Washington. There isn't going to be judge in the USA that will seriously recognise trademark usage except by the U.S. Navy fo
Commercial space flights are old (Score:3, Interesting)
Of course, one wouldn't expect press releases to worry too much about accuracy.
PS. Perhaps they were referring to manned space flights. Now that would be quite different thing. Those of us that work in technical matters sometimes worry about actually saying what we mean.
Re:Commercial space flights are old (Score:2)
You must be reading too many press releases. I have no idea where else one would find such "facts". One can debate the fine print of which cases do and do not count as government funding, but there have been cases that are just undeniably non-governmental.
The SS1 flight wasn't orbital, so we are obviously talking only about the >100 km definition of space flight. I thought I recalled a recent hobby launch that beat this mark...and a quick google on amateur space has no trouble in
mothership?! (Score:2)
Whatcha gonna do, George?! Put a glide in your stride, a dip in your hip, and come on down to the mothership!
Re:Quote from Burt Rutan (Score:5, Interesting)
Only if you are completely unfamiliar with the way the words `stunt' and `publicity' can be arranged into a well known phrase or saying.
Beardie can't even run a worthwhile train company.
Re:Quote from Burt Rutan (Score:2, Informative)
That's quite a bit for a one-off publicity stunt, entirely aside from the 14 Million Pounds already invested.
Re:Quote from Burt Rutan (Score:4, Insightful)
That's quite a bit for a one-off publicity stunt,
`Could' is the important word here.
entirely aside from the 14 Million Pounds already invested.
Which 14 million?
So they haven't actually committed to 14 million. Indeed the press release doesn't say how much they have comitted to, so we can assume it is not very much -- or MAV would be crowing about it.Re:Quote from Burt Rutan (Score:2)
$450 million dollars.
So it's not inconceivable that he could clear a couple hundred million! Not chump change, even for a billionaire...
Re:Quote from Burt Rutan (Score:2)
Re:Quote from Burt Rutan (Score:3, Funny)
The hell it is. Try Virgin vs GNER for a Scotland to London trip. Virgin is slower, less reliable and the rolling stock is a joke. Last time I was stupid enough to travel on a Beardy train the mysery was only releaved by the entertainment of watching the staff using a huge metal spike to lever the toilet door open to let someone out.
As for pricing restrictions
Re:Maybe wait a few years (Score:2)
What about the abnormal population? (Score:2)
( relax, I'm just kidding ).