Virgin's Spaceships A new toy for richs

[emperor 0]

Tycoon Sir Richard Branson has formed a new aerospace company to build a fleet of commercial spaceships. The Spaceship Company will be jointly owned by Branson's Virgin Group and Burt Rutan, whose SpaceShipOne won the 10-million-dollar "X Prize" for sending a privately-designed craft into space twice in two weeks.

Very nice thing, but the cost? 200000$ for a single flight!!!

Like many millions of people growing up in the Sixties who witnessed the wonder of man walking on the moon - I dreamt that one day I too would make that 'one small step'," Branson said in a statement.

Yes, you and some other (not millions) will use this and will make their dreams a real event.
Ok, I think that tech development is a good things, but this what can do for the human race? What real help can it give to people and to the science? This will be only a new toy for rich people that will could afford a so expensive flight.
If I'd like to make this (the first flight will be in 2008) I have to spend two years of earnings of my parents. And my family has a quite good earning.
These things are very fool, and I hate them.

[skynet 0]

200000$ just for a single flight ?so, if you want to back to earth you have to pay another 200K again? I give up...

[canpolitics 0]

Very nice thing, but the cost? 200000$ for a single flight!!!

Yes, you and some other (not millions) will use this and will make their dreams a real event.

Ok, I think that tech development is a good things, but this what can do for the human race? What real help can it give to people and to the science? This will be only a new toy for rich people that will could afford a so expensive flight.

If I'd like to make this (the first flight will be in 2008) I have to spend two years of earnings of my parents. And my family has a quite good earning.

These things are very fool, and I hate them.

166583[/snapback]

What can it do for the human race? You know that the car was once just a toy for the rich, as was the airplane. Think about it, if the average joe can make a flight into space, it will truely be the next step in colonizing our solar system. Sure it is still a LONG ways away, but that doesn't mean it'll never happen and that space flight will remain in the hands of NASA and the super rich.

 

  200000$ just for a single flight ?

so, if you want to back to earth you have to pay another 200K again?

I give up...

LOL the flight up and the flight back to earth are all one single trip, it's not like it lands anywhere... it is just a quick jaunt up, break through the stratosphere and hurtle back to earth.

[emperor 0]

I've thought the same thing, at the beginning, but at the end I've found a real difference between Virgin's spaceships and the history of car and airplane. First: both were created as new vehicles, while Virgin's spaceships hasn't nothing new. The experiment made by Ratan is useful, but the application of Branson not.Second: you say that cars and airplanes, too, are toys for richs. Yes, I agree with this, but not a toysg for all, but only for who really like this. Driving a car or an airplane, at the beginning, was very dangerous and you had to be very skilled. While what skills you need to flight with Virign's spaceships, and it seems that will be no risks. First drivers of cars and airplanes with their expensive toys have helped to make them better. What Virgin's spaceships' passenger can do, maybe say to its 5th avenue neighbours to try it.Maybe the reasons of this is that we live more than one cen maketury later, but first cars and first airplanes aren't toys for richs, but sports for richs. I think that we need to research more on spaceships, and not start with ridicolous trips. I have preferred a small spaceship that you can use to make a little trip, with various risks of it. And so it will become a sport, more thana toy.This is my opinion.

[adriantc 0]

Of course that isn't the greatest news of them all, but if you start thinking about what NASA spends to send it's astronauts to space you'll see that travelling to space becomes cheaper. We all would have wanted to go to space, but remember that it has only passed 40 years since (not so sure about that... still a debate on that conspiracy theory) man landed on the moon. I have heard somewhere that NASA must pay a 10.000 or a 100.000 $ per kg they send into space so 200.000$ for a trip (to space AND back) isn't that much. Anyway I think in 10 years that price will go down...You know the americans had in the '80 a good (and very much possible) project for building a base on the moon...but with the Cold War ending the senators of the USA weren't interested. Of course menkind was half an hour away for doomsday, but you have to admit that it really helped to make those senators think about sending men to space and beyond.Now, with the Cold War over we have other concerns like the (joke called) "War agains terrorism" and how to send billions of $ on a war with no real purpose. Just think where menkind would be today if the Cold War lasted 20 or 30 years more... bases on the moon, landing on Mars... It is true that war means, besides lots of hate, suffering and millions of victims, very fast progress; almoust all inventions had when first designed some kind of military purpose.So, don't worry. In a few hundred years the planet will become very crowded and one way or another they will have to send some funds to space research. Personally didn't even dream about going to space, but I hope that my children will...

[skynet 0]

LOL the flight up and the flight back to earth are all one single trip, it's not like it lands anywhere... it is just a quick jaunt up, break through the stratosphere and hurtle back to earth.

166612[/snapback]

yeah, but I think stoping by at ISS (International Space Station) or maybe have some lunch at MIR would be good thing to do at rare once in lifetime experience.

[Cerb 0]

To say that $200000 is foolish, is a foolish thing to say. The ammount of fuel alone would cost nearly that much. You have to look at the full picture before you make accusations.

[rapaport 0]

yeah, but I think stoping by at ISS (International Space Station) or maybe have some lunch at MIR would be good thing to do at rare once in lifetime experience. 

166646[/snapback]

Wikipedia: "The station existed until March 23, 2001, at which point it was deliberately de-orbited and broke apart during atmospheric re-entry."

 

Hopefully, the US can get its shuttles back into space so we can keep the ISS operational, and moreover finish its construction.

[mayank 2]

200000$ for a single flight!the price of the flight is tooo much but again this is just a starting and everytime a new thing is launched its price is always high...and i think the people who've got excess money will spend this amount happily because they will be able to move into space, which other people will able to see only on TV sets.

[skynet 0]

Wikipedia: "The station existed until March 23, 2001, at which point it was deliberately de-orbited and broke apart during atmospheric re-entry."

 

Hopefully, the US can get its shuttles back into space so we can keep the ISS operational, and moreover finish its construction.

166871[/snapback]

Yeah, its true but, Many in the space community still felt that at least some of Mir was salvageable, altough considering the extremely high costs of getting material into orbit, simply disposing of Mir was a seriously wasted opportunity.

[Darker333 0]

Well.. if you study hard and go to a good college and find a passion.. yeah, a bit of saving with an ever changing world will end up getting you a flight to space once a year. Seriously, it will go down over time, and with an average of 60-80k per person ( IF YOU WORK HARD ) then some saving and BAM!- you can fly in space..Listen, one flight in space in this era of time will be something you will remember forever.

[Saint_Michael 3]

well that idea will get bruned before even taking off and the way things are going with nasa doubt they will succed in doing it. but alas im not paying 200K when i can see the universe for free.

[Dynomite 0]

That is insane! $200,000.00 for a single flight? How long is this flight. Is it really safe to send someone up into space, surely they would need to go through some training? These spaceships would have to be extremely well-designed and hi-tech to make them comercial quality, NASA would have been able to apply some of the elements of comercial quality to make the journey more bearable for the Astonauts surely. I don't see how Virgin would be able to make something more advanced than them. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure he can pay off some reall genius's to make his spaceships, but..... I just don't think they will be safe for travel.

Not to mention the massive waste of fuel so some rich people can go to the Moon... It's the kind of thing we should be avoiding, not having in our future sight! It's an outrage, it's a waste of money and natural resources, what happened to saving them? I mean the concept is great and all, but unless you'r taking them to live up in space don't botherl...

[canpolitics 0]

I've thought the same thing, at the beginning, but at the end I've found a real difference between Virgin's spaceships and the history of car and airplane. First: both were created as new vehicles, while Virgin's spaceships hasn't nothing new. The experiment made by Ratan is useful, but the application of Branson not.

Second: you say that cars and airplanes, too, are toys for richs. Yes, I agree with this, but not a toysg for all, but only for who really like this. Driving a car or an airplane, at the beginning, was very dangerous and you had to be very skilled. While what skills you need to flight with Virign's spaceships, and it seems that will be no risks. First drivers of cars and airplanes with their expensive toys have helped to make them better. What Virgin's spaceships' passenger can do, maybe say to its 5th avenue neighbours to try it.

Maybe the reasons of this is that we live more than one cen maketury later, but first cars and first airplanes aren't toys for richs, but sports for richs. I think that we need to research more on spaceships, and not start with ridicolous trips. I have preferred a small spaceship that you can use to make a little trip, with various risks of it. And so it will become a sport, more thana toy.

This is my opinion.

166632[/snapback]

Who do you think will pay for the research into spaceships? NASA's budget isn't what it used to be, and I would bet that it will continue to be cut. Not to mention government agencies rarely make the leaps that the private sector does, because the private sector is generally better funded and able to make more leaps of faith. You say that these virgiin spacecrafts aren't anything new, when actually they are, they are small, inexpensive (compared to NASA), and commercially viable. It is just the first step. You say that cars and airplanes weren't toys for the rich, but sport ok fine, I'll accept that. Question though. what were the first commercial aircraft then? And how do they differ from the first commercial spacecraft? Sure a quick jaunt into the stratosphere may not be as useful (right now) as a trip to New York aboard a plane, but lots of people will pay to do so, and eventually who knows perhaps they will create a better spacecraft that will be able to land somewhere useful or go into full orbit. And who's to say they don't find a way to turn spaceflights into a sport, can't really think of one right off the top of my head, but heck the X-Prize was a good little sporting game, they could run a similar contest for, I don't know what, maybe the first private space vehicle to land on the moon.

[Saint_Michael 3]

yeah but what about the insurance cost for just one of these, its got to be double that. and on top of maintenace as well., but luckly for me im in the middle class of society and thats fine with me.