Tag: Virgin Orbit

Saudi Astronaut Appointed to Head Kingdom’s New Space Agency

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Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Credit: NASA)

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has appointed his nation’s first – and thus far, only – astronaut to head up a newly created national space agency.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, who flew into orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1985, was appointed to the position. Salam, 62, is one of the king’s second son.

As a payload specialist aboard the flight, Salam helped to deploy the ARABSAT-1B satellite from the shuttle’s cargo bay for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (ARABSAT). His flight marked the first time an Arab, a Muslim and a member of a royal family traveled to space.

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Former NASA Astronaut No Fan of Richard Branson’s “Dangerous” & “Dead-end” SpaceShipTwo Vehicle

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SpaceShipTwo breaks up in flight on Oct. 31, 2014. (Crredit: NTSB)

Four-time space shuttle astronaut Andy Thomas is no fan of Sir Richard Branson’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital tourism vehicle, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports.

“It’s really just a high altitude aeroplane flight and a dangerous one at that.”

He said the technology for the spacecraft had little room to grow.

“I think, as a technology to get humans out into space, it’s a go-nowhere, dead-end technology,” he said.

“You can’t grow it, you can’t make it big enough.”

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Video: A Look at NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services Program

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Video Caption: For years, tiny CubeSat satellites could only fly into space as hitchhikers, riding along with larger, primary payloads. Now, thanks to Venture Class Launch Services, these small packages of big science are getting their own rides into space on dedicated rockets — and on their own terms. Rocket Lab USA of Huntington Beach, California, and Virgin Orbit of Long Beach, California, are the two companies poised to propel CubeSats from coach class to first class.

Virgin Orbit Completes First LauncherOne Captive Carry

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Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl 747 performs its first captive carry of LauncherOne. (Credit: Virgin Orbit)

VICTORVILLE, Calif., 19 November 2018 (Virgin Orbit PR) — This Sunday, a new sight appeared in the baby-blue skies over Southern California: A specially modified 747-400 carrying a 70-foot-long rocket under its wing soared through the air as part of a successful test flight for Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne. Sir Richard Branson’s small satellite launch company completed a flawless test flight, proving that its carbon-fiber two-stage rocket works perfectly as a pair with Cosmic Girl, the customized former passenger aircraft that serves as the company’s ‘flying launch pad.’ The successful test puts more air under the wings—and fins—of the company’s plans to reach orbit in early 2019.

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Space Items for Sale on eBay

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Hi everybody.

I’m selling some space collectible items on eBay to raise some money for the website. There’s some neat stuff there, including Virgin Orbit Remove Before Launch luggage tags, and cargo Dream Chaser key rings.

If you’re interested in this stuff, please bid or buy it now! It would really help out. Thanks.

Virgin Orbit Remove Before Launch Key Chain/Luggage Tag
https://www.ebay.com/itm/153151277241
https://www.ebay.com/itm/153151278822

Blinking NASA Lapel Pin:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/152701734294

Battlestar Galactic Promotional Rubber Keychain
https://www.ebay.com/itm/152673093180

Sky Captain & The World Of Tomorrow Movie Promo (4) Trading Card Pack Sealed
https://www.ebay.com/itm/152673082128

Mojave Receives $1 Million for Taxiway B Extension

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Taxiway B at the Mojave Air and Space Port will be extended into the field on the left of the photo. (Credit: Google Maps)

The Mojave Air and Space Port’s “taxiway of dreams” — Taxiway B — will be extended with the help of a $1.05 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“These Airport Improvement Grants are investments in our country’s critical infrastructure,” said DOT Secretary Elaine Chao in a press release. “This grant is a down payment to ensure Mojave remains an economic engine as demand grows.”

The taxiway is so nicknamed because it was built without having a specific tenant signed up. Taxiway B serves the FAITH hangar, which is home to Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company and their two vehicles, SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo.

A sister company, Virgin Orbit, plans to operate its Boeing 747 out of Mojave. The aircraft, which is named Cosmic Girl, will air launch satellites over the Pacific Ocean with the LauncherOne booster.

The funding to Mojave is part of $770.8 million in airport infrastructure grants announced on Friday. It is the third allotment of a total of $3.18 billion allocated under the DOT’s Airport Improvement Program.

Branson Honored for Space Efforts at Apollo Celebration Awards Ceremony

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Richard Branson (l) and George Whitesides (r) walk with SpaceShipTwo pilots David Mackay and Mark Stucky after a successful glide flight. (Credit: Kenneth Brown)

Virgin Galactic Founder Richard Branson was one of three people honored for contributions to further space exploration during the Apollo Celebration Gala held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Saturday.

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Spaceport Cornwall to Host Virgin Orbit Launches

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Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl air launch 747 (Credit: Virgin Orbit)

CORNWALL, UK (Spaceport Cornwall PR) — The first British satellite launch in 50 years could take place from Cornwall within the next three years following a new partnership with Virgin Orbit.

Virgin Orbit, a satellite launch company, has selected Spaceport Cornwall as an ideal location to operate and deliver one of the first launches of its LauncherOne system outside of its US home.

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Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne Joins Spaceflight’s Portfolio of Launch Vehicles for Small Satellite Rideshare

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LauncherOne ignites after being released from Cosmic Girl 747. (Credit: Virgin Galactic)

SEATTLE, WA and LONG BEACH, CA – June 25, 2018 (Spaceflight PR) — Spaceflight, the company reinventing the model for launching small satellites into space, and Virgin Orbit today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a mission to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in 2019.

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SpaceX to Launch Majority of 4,000 Starlink Satellites From Cape Canaveral

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SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off with a Dragon resupply ship on April 2, 2018. (Credit: NASA)

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

The draft environmental assessment for SpaceX’s proposed expansion at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) also revealed that Elon Musk’s rocket company plans to most of more than 4,000 satellites of its planned Starlink constellation from Cape Canaveral.

That will guarantee a busy schedule for SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at KSC and LC-40 at the adjoining Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). LC-39A can accommodate Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy boosters while LC-40 is configured for the Falcon 9.

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