You may remember I reported earlier this month that the launch window for the 3rd flight of the Falcon 1 opened around July 30 or thereabouts. We are now into that period and it looks like we might get a launch before the five day window closes: Falcon 1 is on the pad at Kwajalein.
There has been very little information floating around on the launch schedule this time so I will have to keep watching closely to make sure I do not miss a last minute announcement.
I will keep you informed.
I could have been the systems maintenance guy on Moon base Alpha. NASA I hope you choke on his leftovers.
What about Spaceship Two, then? Branson might beat everyone else into space, and do it commercially!
What about Spaceship Two, then? Branson might beat everyone else into space, and do it commercially!
Rutan has an expanded facility building SpaceShipTwo’s; at least one should be about ready for initial testing, if that has not already started. They will be flying a very careful test program and my understanding is that last years accident may have delayed them a bit. Best estimates now are 2010 for commercial service.
They seem to be getting ready. There is now a test video link. Nothing on it, but it is a good sign they are gearing up for a launch attempt within a few days at most. (Of course they only have until Aug 5 in this window!)
yea, it is a good sign
Nick G, note that SpaceShipTwo would only go to 100km, whereas Falcon 1 is aiming for orbit. 100km is great, but orbit is significantly harder, so you can’t really compare them directly as “getting there first”. However, Falcon 1 can’t launch that often, whereas SpaceShipTwo is aiming for “airline-like operations” and flights every day. And they are both officially commercial, though SpaceX rely on Government contracts a lot more.