Virgin Galactic in HD

[Botsareus]

Anyone seen the vid. for the third launch of Virgin Galactic? They put hd cameras on both launch components. Looks beast.

[vrukt]

Well where's the link Botsareus? Don't leave us hanging man!

Just kidding here ya go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwm3leZu-O0

This is apparently the third test, I remember seeing the first a few years back, it was pretty amazing.

The video quality sure has come a long way in recent years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-ovETzGtMc

And of course, all designed by the legendary Burt Rutan. The guy comes up with some great designs, I really like his jet, but the audio for the clip was terrible, so I'll show ya this one instead.
https://www.ted.com/talks/burt_rutan_sees_the_future_of_space

Thanks for the word though Botsareus, wasn't aware they'd done the 3rd test.

[Numsgil]

Is it meant to be able to achieve a proper LEO?  Or does it just use a parabolic trajectory to get above the Karman line?

[Botsareus]

Just checked there website. Apparently they have something called 'LauncherOne' that does go into LEO. Do not know if it makes it back from LEO safely.

The original design was meant to get you as close to the feeling of being in outer space as possible. But you also get all the gforces of going to outer space as a bonus.

But in general, it is just cool. 

[vrukt]

Is it meant to be able to achieve a proper LEO?  Or does it just use a parabolic trajectory to get above the Karman line?

Ya as far as I know they're just using a parabolic trajectory to get to the Karman line. First flight hit the Karman line mark of 100km to get the X-Prize.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipOne#Development_and_winning_the_X_Prize

[Botsareus]

Looks like they want 110km on average. Not too shabby.

[Botsareus]

hohum, the LOE one is just a stupid two stager. The fins got me thinking it had a return plan for a sec.

[Numsgil]

Is it meant to be able to achieve a proper LEO?  Or does it just use a parabolic trajectory to get above the Karman line?

Ya as far as I know they're just using a parabolic trajectory to get to the Karman line. First flight hit the Karman line mark of 100km to get the X-Prize.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipOne#Development_and_winning_the_X_Prize

Ah, that makes sense.  I've been playing a lot of Kerbal lately, and I feel like I have at least some intuitive sense of what a ship that can reach orbit looks like.  And that isn't it

Still, very cool.

[vrukt]

Kerbal is a fantastic game, and ya that could definitely not reach LEO looking like that.

Maybe if they scale it up to 10x the size, slap another booster on it.

Always another booster.

[Botsareus]

Too much boosters can be a bad thing too. Just look where the N1 ended up.

[vrukt]

It's true, that 20 engine design was a little insane.

Do you know about the replacement engines that were never flown, the Nk-33s? Well at least never flown until the fall of the USSR, and that wonderful 90s sell off period.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLg1QUq5GQM

There's a good documentary on it.

I've actually been wondering if Putin won't go back and charge someone for selling these engines, but I'm pretty sure it's the same people running his space program now, so he may want to keep the engineers happy.

Elon Musks latest engine;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(rocket_engine_family)#Merlin_1D

Is said to use that same technology developed through the painful soviet test programs.

[Botsareus]

Thank you for the link Vrukt. Good stuff. 

Why can't they build a couple N1s and build a moon base? They still got the blue prints, don't they? Or did they burn them? It is looking like they can also even have 1.5x original mass on the top of this things now. Build a moon base!

[Botsareus]

I was always gov't. neutral, I do not care who does it. Can Americans hack some blue prints plz?

[Numsgil]

Sounds like there were some problems with the design...

[Botsareus]

According to the vid, they where flushed out right before they cut the program off.