Good Timing with Virgin Galactic Back Online

With all the discussion about the SpaceX mishap, it was just the right time for Virgin Galactic, another space pioneer, to show it was back on its feet (or, more to the point, back in the air).  The image above shows Virgin Mother Ship Eve carrying the Virgin Spaceship Unity for its first flight ever over Mojave, CA on Thursday September 8, 2016.  This represents the return on a Virgin Galactic spaceship after the crash two years ago in the desert that was ultimately blamed on human error. 

In its press release on this mission, Virgin Galactic stated,

Throughout the entire 3 hour and 43 minute test flight, the flight crew as well our mission controllers and ground crews did the hard work of supporting a crewed test flight of a spaceflight system—great practice for our eventual flights to space...With this flight in the books, our team will now analyze a mountain of flight data, learning what worked well and what could be improved for our next flight test. Only when that analysis is done, along with detailed vehicle inspections, some already-planned work, and potentially more captive carry flights, will we be ready to move into the next phase of test flight.

Just another sign that we need to learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward. 

A Whole New Trajectory for Weapons of War

I have heard of beating swords into ploughshares, but converting intercontinental missiles into space rockets?  That is a new one, but I like the idea.

Orbital ATK Vice President Barron Beneski has proposed using decommissioned intercontinental ballistic missiles (such as the Peacekeeper above) for new purposes.  It makes a lot of sense, particularly for a company that lacks its own rockets.  Orbital ATK was using old Soviet-era rockets until one exploded.  Now its Cygnus cargo ship resupplying the International Space Station is hooking a ride on competitor rockets. 

Of course, no good idea goes unopposed, and Virgin Galactic is trying to spike this idea because Orbital ATK may become a competitor. 

This is the other side of private sector space competition - everyone wants to have the best rocket and not really share the profits.  Left to itself, we will be back to the huge space companies with few new ideas.  I think the decommissioning idea is a good one - reuse old rockets for space purposes and allow the Air Force to unload some inventory that is expensive to maintain.  And these rockets can be sold to any party, not just Orbital ATK, to maintain a level playing field. 

SmallSats: More Private Sector Investment

NASA’s Launch Services Program recently awarded what are called Venture Class Launch Services  contracts to three private companies to provide small satellites (SmallSats) in low-Earth orbit. These three companies are:

• Firefly Space Systems Inc. of Cedar Park, Texas, $5.5 million
• Rocket Lab USA Inc. of Los Angeles, $6.9 million
• Virgin Galactic LLC of Long Beach, California, $4.7 million

Since Virgin Galactic seems to be making slow progress in the space tourism industry this may be a new opening for the company. And expanding NASA's rocket suppliers is always a good move as it spreads the risk of the space program. 

Image Credit: Firefly Alpha Rocket from Firefly Space Systems

Spaceship Two: Now We Know

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found the crash related to Virgin Galactic's Spaceship Two was the result of pilot error.  The NTSB press release on the investigation stated:

the co-pilot’s premature unlocking of the spaceship’s feather system as a result of time pressure and vibration and loads that he had not recently experienced.

Virgin Galactic later tweeted:

We thank the @NTSB for their professionalism, expertise, and insight, and we welcome the results of their investigation.

 and then: 

With impartial experts from @NTSB having found the #SpaceShipTwo design fundamentally sound, we move forward with confidence.

The question now is whether the next spacecraft can avoid these human issues. And new questions have come up regarding the location of the crash near population centers, including a high school, indicating greater Federal oversight of future flights may be required.  

Noteworthy Quote: A Turn Against Spaceports?

"I'm beginning to fear that the spaceport is a white elephant that was given to us by a former governor and an international billionaire and if we're not careful, all our hay is going to be eaten."

-- Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, regarding the proposed sale of the $220 million Spaceport America.  Use of the facility has been delayed due to problems experienced by anchor tenant Virgin Galactic.

Second Space Disaster in a Week: One Dead

This has not been a good week for the private sector space industry.  Earlier today, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crashed in the California desert during a test flight, killing one pilot and injuring a second pilot.  The spacecraft, built for space tourists, was using a new rocket fuel, which may have contributed to the accident. 

On its website, Virgin Galactic stated:

Virgin Galactic's partner Scaled Composites conducted a powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo earlier today. During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle. The WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft landed safely. Our first concern is with crew and their families. We will work closely with relevant authorities to determine the cause of this accident and provide updates as soon as we are able to do so.

It has been 10 years since SpaceShipOne opened the door to space tourism, and this crash can only increase the wait for the hundreds who put down money to be part of the project. 

At a press conference earlier today, Stuart Witt, responsible for the Mojave Air and Space Port, said: 

We are doing this for you and your generation. It is a cause far greater than any one of us singularly. I compare it to the Magellan expedition [the first circumnavigation of the Earth].’

I don't think Magellan was running a tourist outfit back then, but I understand the sentiment.

Image Credit:  KABC-TV/AP Photo