Satellite Of Love: Why Virgin Galactic’s New Private Launcher Is So Swoon-Worthy 

LauncherOne leverages the expertise that Virgin Galactic has been building up with its space tourism business… it uses exactly the same air-launched model for the rocket, with a carrier aircraft lifting the spacecraft high into the atmosphere before dropping it and letting its engines fire it into space. LauncherOne actually employs the same WhiteKnightTwo launch aircraft used for the space tourism flights—which is a proven, existing airframe that instantly reduces costs. 
The upshot of all of this cost-saving is that according to Virgin, a LauncherOne vehicle can put 500 pounds of payload into orbit for “below $10 million.” That works out cheaper than its likely biggest competitor Orbital’s Pegasus XL—another air-launched vehicle—and Virgin intends it to be able to reach the “world’s lowest prices” for launches.

Satellite Of Love: Why Virgin Galactic’s New Private Launcher Is So Swoon-Worthy 

LauncherOne leverages the expertise that Virgin Galactic has been building up with its space tourism business… it uses exactly the same air-launched model for the rocket, with a carrier aircraft lifting the spacecraft high into the atmosphere before dropping it and letting its engines fire it into space. LauncherOne actually employs the same WhiteKnightTwo launch aircraft used for the space tourism flights—which is a proven, existing airframe that instantly reduces costs. 

The upshot of all of this cost-saving is that according to Virgin, a LauncherOne vehicle can put 500 pounds of payload into orbit for “below $10 million.” That works out cheaper than its likely biggest competitor Orbital’s Pegasus XL—another air-launched vehicle—and Virgin intends it to be able to reach the “world’s lowest prices” for launches.

#tech #science #space #travel #virgin galactic #virgin airlines

Comments & Reactions

courtenaybird's comments powered by Disqus

49 notes

  1. causticartist reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  2. thestarsbeckon reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  3. intergalactic-elevator reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  4. horrendousblah reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  5. derpbeak reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  6. chstljane reblogged this from itsfullofstars and added:
    Virgin Galactic, I’m counting on you. I’m hoping to travel to outer space before my first colonoscopy. Things are going...
  7. killkalamityking reblogged this from itsfullofstars and added:
    The cheaper the better. Hopefully space flight will soon become viable
  8. invisiblur reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  9. eduardo-camargo6 reblogged this from courtenaybird
  10. xromeosdistress reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  11. itsaspaceromance reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  12. jim-moriartichoke reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  13. kraftgenies reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  14. theinnocentavalanche reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  15. abcstarstuff reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  16. lessthanaverage reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  17. setcoursetoeudaimonia reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  18. itsfullofstars reblogged this from courtenaybird
  19. courtenaybird posted this