It looks like Virgin Galactic was lucky to avoid serious injuries at its unveiling of SpaceShipOne on Monday night. Gale force storm winds tour apart the tent the company set up for VIP party goers not long after vehicle roll out. Fortunately, they got everyone evacuated before the destruction.
Attendee Rand Simberg has dubbed it “Virgin’s PR Fiasco“:
They invite a lot of high-falutin’ people, including a lot of wealthy customers, subject them first to chilling winds and cold to see the vehicle, then have them party in a cold tent with iced vodka, after checking their coats and valuables. Then they quickly herd them outside in subfreezing temperatures and hurricane-force winds without their coats and other things, waiting in the chill blast for buses, shortly after which the tent collapses….
I wasn’t there, so I can’t comment on the specifics. But, weather in California can be cold, nasty and unpredictable over the fall and winter months – particularly in the High Desert. Pounding rain, high winds, blizzards….
When I heard about the party tent, it really made me wonder if this had been thought through properly. OK, you’re setting up an Ice Bar in the desert. Funny. But, it’s in a tent at night in December in the middle of the Mojave during the rainy season. So, the irony of that could well be lost on your shivering guests, clad in matching designer Puma jackets as they may have been.
Well, thank God there were no injuries or fatalities – which makes this supposed “day of infamy” rather tame…
Similar Posts:
- Officials: Quick Action Avoid Loss of Life at Virgin Galactic Party
- Video: Virgin Galactic’s Party Tent Collapses
- Air Force, NASA to Fly Scramjets Out of Edwards
- Mission Control Roof Damaged But JSC Escapes the Worst of Ike
- Planetary Society on Lunar Water: Eh
It was no fiasco. I was also there. It was an amazing experience to have been there, see history made and to now be able to share it with my family and friends. The event did go off as planned, everyone was able to mark the day and be recognized for their historic feats. I’m just glad Mr. Simberg isn’t in-charge of any space program or it would still be simply an idea kept at bay from lack of determination. December 7, 2009 in the Mojave will always be remembered in my mind as the great day the amazing people of Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic showed what can be done with brainpower, guts and determination. Maybe Mr. Simberg should have stayed home and let us “high-falutin” people mark the day for what it was.