Virgin Galactic VSS Unity (updates)

[+rdlenk Subscriber²]

I may be biased and this is certainly only my opinion but just going into space (by altitude or even to orbit) does not immediately make you an astronaut. Being an astronaut means years of hard training, huge sacrifices in terms of privacy, personal life and safety, and a dedication to scientific research\progress. The title should not be something that can be "bought" with an expensive ticket. This goes equally for all no matter the delivery vehicle (Inspiration 4, for example, I would not consider astronauts). The one exception is Wally Funk who absolutely should get her gold wings later this month as it is long overdue.

 

Does that detract for the achievement today by Virgin or the upcoming ones from Blue and SpaceX? No, it shouldn't at all, as those are still outstanding technical achievements with a huge congratulations earned for those teams! But calling the passengers astronauts after just a short flight is a bit disingenuous to the actual astronauts that dedicated their lives to advancing the human species as a whole.

[DocM]

8 hours ago, rdlenk said:

I may be biased and this is certainly only my opinion but just going into space (by altitude or even to orbit) does not immediately make you an astronaut. Being an astronaut means years of hard training, huge sacrifices in terms of privacy, personal life and safety, and a dedication to scientific research\progress. 

>

The media is tossing the term around loosely. The FAA issues wings for commercial spaceflight, but they're different than NASA or the military.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_astronaut

 

And....Elon Musk will ride SS2

 

 

[IsItPluggedIn]

10 hours ago, rdlenk said:

I may be biased and this is certainly only my opinion but just going into space (by altitude or even to orbit) does not immediately make you an astronaut. Being an astronaut means years of hard training, huge sacrifices in terms of privacy, personal life and safety, and a dedication to scientific research\progress. The title should not be something that can be "bought" with an expensive ticket. This goes equally for all no matter the delivery vehicle (Inspiration 4, for example, I would not consider astronauts). The one exception is Wally Funk who absolutely should get her gold wings later this month as it is long overdue.

 

Does that detract for the achievement today by Virgin or the upcoming ones from Blue and SpaceX? No, it shouldn't at all, as those are still outstanding technical achievements with a huge congratulations earned for those teams! But calling the passengers astronauts after just a short flight is a bit disingenuous to the actual astronauts that dedicated their lives to advancing the human species as a whole.

I agree, there needs to be a distinction, maybe a few.

 

1. Tourist Non Orbital (Virgin Galactic/New Shepard etc)

2. Tourist Orbital (Crew Dragon/SNC)

3. National Space Programs, scientist/engineers. (NASA/JAXA/CSA etc)

 

[FloatingFatMan]

2 hours ago, DocM said:

The media is tossing the term around loosely. The FAA issues wings for commercial spaceflight, but they're different than NASA or the military.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_astronaut

 

And....Elon Musk will ride SS2

 

 

Way to show confidence in your own spacecraft, Elon...  

[IsItPluggedIn]

4 minutes ago, FloatingFatMan said:

Way to show confidence in your own spacecraft, Elon...  

Ehh, 250k vs Approx 100Mil. 

 

Im surprised he hasnt organized a trip on dragon for himself yet. But there is many reason to not go at the moment, I dont think confidence in the vehicle is the concern. 

 

But this does show support for VG, not sure how much of that support is to push competition with Blue Origin.

[FloatingFatMan]

1 minute ago, IsItPluggedIn said:

Ehh, 250k vs Approx 100Mil. 

 

Im surprised he hasnt organized a trip on dragon for himself yet. But there is many reason to not go at the moment, I dont think confidence in the vehicle is the concern. 

 

But this does show support for VG, not sure how much of that support is to push competition with Blue Origin.

It's all about optics, and flying on the competitions craft instead of your own is a prominent message.

[IsItPluggedIn]

2 minutes ago, FloatingFatMan said:

It's all about optics, and flying on the competitions craft instead of your own is a prominent message.

Personally I dont see spacex/dragon for "tourism".

Not much competition as they are in different market segments.

However SpaceX are starting to do some tourism flights ie Inspiration 4. However I havent seen much in the way or SpaceX marketing such flights or trying to join that market segment. I guess we will see moving forward.

[Emn1ty]

40 minutes ago, FloatingFatMan said:

It's all about optics, and flying on the competitions craft instead of your own is a prominent message.

I think the best way to know about your competition's tech is to see it first hand.

[DocM]

1 hour ago, FloatingFatMan said:

Way to show confidence in your own spacecraft, Elon...  

More like the SpaceX board limiting him, so far. About 2003/04 they "requested" he no longer fly his Soviet-era Aero L-39 Albatros fighter trainer.  He and another L-39 were doing tail chases through Utah canyons.