World's First Commercial Spaceport now being built in New Mexico

[digitalsuperman]

---

indeed orbital space flight is really worth paying for...

[unfamous]

waaaaaaa grabehag pliti ana oi. Pero I'm sure worth it na. Nice news.

[JaM_meE]

wow! i want to register!

[chad_tukes]

please don't confuse New Mexico to Mexico.

just an OT.

[j.alob]

kanindot siguro sa gawas sa earth sa.. makita jud nimo personal ang blueish nga earth. blue man daw...

[Tarmac]

My own prediction is that it could closely follow the specs of the X-20, from the cancelled US Air Force "Dyna-Soar" program...

So yes, something like the ablative coating of the "white" X-15s might be used, or perhaps even ceramic tiles.

-RODION

Yeah, Dyna-Soar would make sense. I doubt the 2014 timeline though.

We haven't even dealt with what the FAA says about all this. If you take up paying passengers, would there be a need to certify the spacecraft for commercial operation? I think so. Anyone who pays good money (enough to fly first class around the world many times over on a top-tier airline) should at least be guaranteed a good chance he will make it back to earth alive. That could take billions of dollars and several years. The FAA doesn't have certifying standards for spacecraft in the first place.

Of course Virgin Galactic could get around this by listing passengers as crewmembers but then what are the legal implications of doing that and making a profit off of these "crewmembers"?

[Tarmac]

please don't confuse New Mexico to Mexico.

just an OT.

In Mexico, Virgin Galactic Spaceships will be flown by Jose Jimenez (referencing the fictitious Hispanic astronaut character Alan Shepard liked to imitate).

[rodsky]

In Mexico, Virgin Galactic Spaceships will be flown by Jose Jimenez (referencing the fictitious Hispanic astronaut character Alan Shepard liked to imitate).

YouTube - Jose Jimenez - The Astronaut ( Full Version )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCEdKDQ22FI



-RODION

[Tarmac]

I can imagine the predeparture PA announcement:

"My name... Jose Jimenez."



.

[ermitanyo16]

dugay naman ni gi propose Sir Richard Branson sa Virgin... last year pa ni gi sugdan... mayta maka afford ta ani.. hehehe