WK2 and maybe SS2 at Oshkosh

A reader passes along a well-sourced rumor that SpaceShipTwo will be unveiled at the Oshkosh air show this summer. I might go if this is confirmed. It's been announced previously that WhiteKnightTwo will fly to the show.

Posted 02/18/09 | 12:45:34 by TopSpacer | Filed under: Transport Companies

Comments

That would be cool

Posted by anon at 02/18/09 14:54:56

Unveiled. What does that mean? As in rolled out? If so, that would not give them much time to test and still start commercial flights by the end of the year, as Whitehorn keeps saying.

Posted by D. Messier at 02/18/09 16:31:48

The Virgin Galactic Program is slipping.

That's Okay, that's probably good.

White Knight 2 is just started in flight test
and those can run up to 400 days,
depending upon glitches, and frankly,
they need the time to get the SS2
ready.

Posted by anon at 02/18/09 16:52:20

Hi Doug,

"... would not give them much time to test and still start commercial flights by the end of the year, as Whitehorn keeps saying."

It's hard to keep track exactly of the statements from Whitehorn and Branson, but the general message has been for awhile that paid passenger flights would not start before late 2010 at the earliest.

I would be pleasantly surprised if they started rocket tests by the end of this year rather than just drop tests.

- Clark

Posted by TopSpacer at 02/18/09 17:24:02

Unfortunately, I missed the rollout of WK2 last year because I had already committed to going to Oshkosh. I'm trying to visualize how this could happen this year, assuming that they really wanted to take SpaceShipTwo in Oshkosh: Maybe the rocket plane would be rolled out in Mojave (it would have to be brought out in the open for takeoff, right?), then flown on WK2 to Oshkosh and back. Could make the summer travel plans pretty complicated...

Posted by Alan Boyle at 02/19/09 15:47:07

"According to Whitehorn, Virgin Galactic plans to conduct test flights of VMS Eve carrying SpaceShipTwo during the second half of 2009."
the airshow is in late july so i doubt theyll be showing it off before they do proper tests

Posted by Devecseri at 03/12/09 21:08:55

Hi Devecseri,
Whitehorn said subsequent to this post that SS2 would not go to Oshkosh. See

http://hobbyspace.com/nucle...

- Clark

Posted by TopSpacer at 03/12/09 22:48:16

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