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npmclMon Sep-27-04 01:12 PM
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""


  

          

"Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has signed a £14m agreement which will see his company take passengers into space.

The British entrepreneur is having five "spaceliners" built in the US by the team behind the SpaceShipOne vehicle.

The California-based rocket plane became the first privately developed carrier to go above 100km in June.

Sir Richard says it will cost around £100,000 to go on a "Virgin Galactic" spaceliner, and the first flights should begin in about three years' time....."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3693020.stm

  

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ShellyMon Sep-27-04 01:25 PM
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#1. ""
In response to npmcl (Reply # 0)


  

          

At that price he won't need five vehicles.

Shelly

  

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KJTMon Sep-27-04 01:37 PM
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#2. ""
In response to npmcl (Reply # 0)


  

          

>"Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has signed a £14m agreement
>which will see his company take passengers into space.

£100,000 to take passengers into space - how much to bring them back?

>The California-based rocket plane became the first privately
>developed carrier to go above 100km in June.

I don't recall reading about any "publicly developed" US carrier that does scheduled flights above 100km either, at least not for paying customers.

>Sir Richard says it will cost around £100,000 to go on a
>"Virgin Galactic" spaceliner, and the first flights should
>begin in about three years' time....."


If we start saving now, maybe all of us combined can contribute enough to send someone we all detest into space, but not enough to pay to bring them back. Any nominees?

Jim.

  

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ShellyMon Sep-27-04 02:22 PM
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#3. ""
In response to KJT (Reply # 2)


  

          

>I don't recall reading about any "publicly developed" US
>carrier that does scheduled flights above 100km either, at
>least not for paying customers.

The group developing Spaceship 1, funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has already gone to 100KM, considered to be the altitude at which space begins, and is capable of higher altitudes. So far this vehicle is much further along in development than any of the other developmental groups vying for the prize to be awarded to the first to meet the rules for winning.

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sso_rutan_archive.html

Shelly

  

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KJTMon Sep-27-04 02:37 PM
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#4. ""
In response to Shelly (Reply # 3)
Mon Sep-27-04 02:38 PM by KJT

  

          

Thanks for the link. I had read about it in Time or Newsweek or elsewhere earlier in the year.

Still, it's a private venture. I was just nitpicking the use of the word "privately" in the article: "The California-based rocket plane became the first privately developed carrier to go above 100km in June.

As far as I know there is no "publicly developed" US carrier that does scheduled flights above 100km, at least not for paying customers.

Jim.

  

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