Travelingking

Don't just see the world---Experience it!

Blast Off! My August 2010 Space Bulletin


 

The completed 10,000ft runway.

Image courtesy of KRQE - Bob Martin.

   

How the THF will look when completed.

Concept image courtesy of URS/Foster + Partners.

  

How the THF looked at the end of July 2010.

Image courtesy of Spaceport America.

In February 2010 Space Bulletin introduced you to Spaceport America, future home of Virgin Galactic's spaceflight operations. At that time work was commencing on the staggering 10,000ft runway and some foundations were being laid for the Terminal Hangar Facility or THF.

In just 6 months the runway and apron areas have now been completed and the roofing is now going on the THF. This stunning multi-functional, 110,152 square feet building is being built to LEED Gold energy efficiency standard. The 3-level structure will serve as the administrative facilities for Virgin Galactic as well as the home of the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo fleet of space vehicles. It is here that Future Astronauts will undergo their 3-day training program and where public viewing facilities will be located.

Construction workers have made outstanding progress and completion of the exterior of the THF is on track for later this year before Virgin Galactic commences work in 2011 on fitting out the interior.  Located 45 miles northeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Spaceport America is the world�s first purpose built commercial spaceport. Whilst Virgin Galactic will be the first anchor tenant the Spaceport is being built to accommodate other companies and will offer both vertical and horizontal launch facilities.

Designed to blend into the beautiful desert landscape when being viewed from the ground yet look striking from the air, Spaceport America promises to be a truly stunning example of how futuristic architecture can be achieved with minimal aesthetic and environmental impact.

More information can be found at www.spaceportamerica.com or contact your Accredited Space Agent.

Contact your Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Agent for more information about Spaceport America and Virgin Galactic...

Barbara King
(913) 338-2244 or barbara@greatgetaways.travel
www.greatgetaways.travel

 

 

, The VIRGIN GALACTIC name and logos, the GALACTIC logo and IRIS device are trade marks of Virgin Enterprises Limited. The trademarks VIRTUOSO, the Globe Swirl Logo, SPECIALISTS IN THE ART OF TRAVEL are registered trademarks of Virtuoso, Ltd. All rights reserved. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CST#2069091-40 12/09.

 2009 Virtuoso, Ltd. | 505 Main Street, Suite 500 Fort Worth, TX 76102.

 


   
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Historic & Successful First Crewed Flight of SpaceShipTwo

Just a few hours ago WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo completed their third captive carry flight but this was a very significant one as for the first time there were two pilots crewing SpaceShipTwo. There was much anticipation in the lead up to this flight as although it might not sound much to the layman it was a major milestone in the test flight program

SS2 Liveried Comp.jpgSS2 Liveried
Chaser Plane Close Comp.jpg  Chaser plane close by
 With Chaser MHV Comp.jpg    With Chaser MHV


Ready to reserve a seat on Virgin Galactic and see the world from an entirely new angle? Contact barbara@greatgetaway.com today!

Space Bulletin - June 2010 "A Safe Race NOT a Space Race"

THIS IS A SAFE RACE, NOT A SPACE RACE.

After its dramatic unveiling in December 2009, SpaceShipTwo embarked on its test flight program in March with the inaugural 'captive carry flight', meaning it was coupled to its revolutionary carrier aircraft, WhiteKnightTwo.  Subsequent testing is ongoing and in this Space Bulletin is all about SpaceShipTwo and what you can expect to see from its test flight program over the next few years...

Watch the inaugural 'captive carry' flight here.

  

Burt Rutan & Sir Richard Branson with SpaceShipTwo.

 

A conceptual image of the SpaceShipTwo cabin.

 

A rocket motor test firing in March 2009.

SpaceShipTwo is the world’s first spacecraft purposely developed for commercial sub-orbital spaceflight.

The space testing program now under way is designed to ensure that the system and passenger experience are safe and ready to take you on the ride of your life!

SpaceShipTwo is flown by two pilots and will seat six passengers.  Everybody will have a window seat and the multiple porthole size windows are around twice the size of normal aircraft windows. Prepare to enjoy the breathtaking vistas of space and Earth no matter which way up you are floating! 

Spaceflight participants can expect a cabin around the same size as a medium corporate jet except that there is no dividing floor like ordinary aircraft. Instead the entire tubular shape of the fuselage is open so as to make the most room possible.

The test flight in March was just the beginning of an extensive program that will not cease until the system is as safe as it can possibly be.  With no actual competitors and only a handful of other companies even talking about offering sub-orbital tourist spaceflights, Virgin Galactic are fully expected to be the first to operate commercial flights. However that is not the priority, safety is our guiding star.  

The new rocket motor to be used in SpaceShipTwo, RocketMotorTwo, is also being tested extensively. 4 full-scale firings have been completed to date.

Over the next few years the world will see Virgin and Scaled Composites pass many testing milestones. Once the captive carry testing is complete there will be ‘drop & glide’ tests and then incremental test flights marrying the rocket to the spaceship which will eventually lead up to flights into space!

Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Agents are the best way to learn more and to become a part of this historic project. They are shepherding a steadily growing number of Future Astronauts, who are personally engaged at every step of the way.

For more information about Virgin Galactic please contact your Accredited Space Agent….

Barbara King 
(913) 338-2244 or barbara@greatgetaways.travel
www.greatgetaways.travel

, The VIRGIN GALACTIC name and logos, the GALACTIC logo and IRIS device are trade marks of Virgin Enterprises Limited.

The trademarks VIRTUOSO, the Globe Swirl Logo, SPECIALISTS IN THE ART OF TRAVEL are registered trademarks of Virtuoso, Ltd. All rights reserved. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CST#2069091-40 12/09.

© 2010 Virtuoso, Ltd. | 505 Main Street, Suite 500 Fort Worth, TX 76102.

 


   
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The Poop about Poop in Space!

Not sure which came first, the love of all things space or representing Virgin Galactic, I find myself drawn to articles about Space, documentaries about Space, and have been caught watching NatGeo Channel about Black Holes, Space, etc. Some of the stuff is way too technical for me and other is quite informative. The article below is informative and answers some indelicate questions we might be embarrassed to ask:


How does going to the bathroom in space work? 

by Stephanie Watson, HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM

How does going to the bathroom in space work?

Regardless of whether you're in your living room or orbiting thousands of miles above Earth when nature calls, you have to listen. But when you're in zero gravity, something as simple as going to the bathroom can turn into a major challenge. It's disgusting to even contemplate what might happen if an astronaut in space tried to use and flush a regular toilet. So how do astronauts go to the bathroom  in space?

 
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
A wide-angle view of the Orbital Workshop waste management compartment. The actual toilet's down the hall, to your right.

Each spacecraft comes equipped with a unisex toilet.  Although the toilet itself looks like a slightly higher-tech version of its counterparts here on Earth, it's designed a bit differently. The toilet consists of a commode that holds solid wastes and a urinal for liquid wastes. A funnel that fits over the genital area allows both men and women to urinate standing up, although they also have the option of sitting down.

To prevent the astronauts from floating away in the weightless environment, the toilet comes equipped with foot restraints (for sitting) and a toe bar to slip the feet under (for standing). The toilet also has a thigh bar similar to the one that pulls down over your lap when you ride a roller coaster and fabric fasteners that go around the thighs.

To ensure that the waste also doesn't float around, the toilet uses flowing air instead of water to flush the toilet. The air pulls the waste away from the astronaut's body and flushes it away. After the air is filtered to remove bacteria and odors, it's returned to the living cabin.

But where does all the waste go? Don't worry, it's not going to come hurtling into the Earth's atmosphere and through your roof. Solid wastes are dried to remove all moisture, compressed and kept in an on-board storage container. They're removed and disposed of once the spacecraft has landed. The liquid waste is sent into space.

On the International Space Station liquid wastes are recycled through a special water treatment plant and turned back into drinking water. Solid waste goes into a plastic bag. Each time someone goes to the bathroom, the bag clamps down and seals like a trash compactor. The bags are collected and placed into a special craft that is launched into space.

Going to the bathroom becomes even more challenging when astronauts take a walk outside their spacecraft. Because they can't simply drop their space suit and go, astronauts typically use a superabsorbent adult diaper. These diapers are able to hold up to a quart of liquid. Astronauts use adult diapers during take-offs and landings as well. After the spacewalk, the astronauts remove the diapers and dispose them in a storage area in the craft.

Too Geeky or Very Cool? You decide

Some researchers at the University of Michigan used data from NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer satellite to create a musical composition of what solar wind would sound like. For those of you who plan to bake in the sun over Spring Break, add this to your iPod's tunes. For those interested in Space exploration, you'll enjoy how research into solar winds might help forecast weather here on Earth. 

Oh, did I just mention Space??? Have you contacted me yet to reserve a seat aboard Virgin Galactic's suborbital consumer space flights yet? Email barbara@greatgetaway.com and let's get your seat picked out today!

Space Bulletin: February 2010

 

 

STATUS UPDATE: SPACEPORT AMERICA

Watch the Spaceport America Groundbreaking

Steve Landeene, Executive Director of Spaceport America.

The Virgin Galactic terminal design by URS/Foster+Partners.

Click on the image above for a tour of Spaceport America.

On June 19th of 2009 ground was broken on a project of historic proportions. Construction has been progressing on a 10,000-foot long, 200-foot wide runway designed to handle any flying vehicle on the planet or returning from space! As of this week, 50% of the asphalt has been laid. That is the third layer of a four-layer process. Next and last will be a 14-inch thick layer of concrete, which is projected to finish off the runway by mid summer. Appropriately enough, the project has been sped along with the precision assistance of satellites! Rapid construction of the terminal will begin soon. In fact, if you were to drive up to Spaceport America in December 2010, you would see the finished airfield, taxiway and apron, and a fuel storage area  - all in the vicinity of a nearly completed Virgin Galactic terminal. Yet another real-life example that the New Era of Space Tourism is here!

BEHIND THE SCENES

A little-known fact is that Spaceport America is being constructed with particular care given to historical sensitivities. The site happens to be adjacent to the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro - the historic 1,500 mile trade route from Mexico City to Santa Fe which dates to 1598. Archaeologists are on hand full time scrutinizing every piece of overturned dirt. If a discovery is made, everything stops to allow for analysis and cataloguing the artifacts in question. Hundreds of historically significant artifacts have been located, catalogued and stored for future exhibitions.

For more information and updates see Spaceport America Twitter and Facebook.

Special thanks goes out to Aaron Prescott, Chief of Staff with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, the state agency responsible for building and operating Spaceport America.

For more information on Spaceport America, the Virgin Galactic project or to reserve your place in space contact me today...

Barbara King 
(913) 338-2244 
barbara@greatgetaways.travel
www.greatgetaways.travel

 

 

The VIRGIN GALACTIC name and logos, the GALACTIC logo and IRIS device are trade marks of Virgin Enterprises Limited.

The trademarks VIRTUOSO, the Globe Swirl Logo, SPECIALISTS IN THE ART OF TRAVEL are registered trademarks of Virtuoso, Ltd. All rights reserved. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CST#2069091-40 12/09.

To receive emails in your Inbox from Virtuoso and your Virtuoso travel advisor, please add virtuoso@virtuosoemail.com to your address book or safe senders list. Copyright 2009 Virtuoso, Ltd. | 505 Main Street, Suite 500 Fort Worth, TX 76102.

 


Send the ultimate gift and love it when they claim it's spacey!

 

 

             Consider what could be "the ultimate gift" for your loved ones; A three-day astronaut experience, culminating in a suborbital flight aboard VSS Enterprise!  A deposit in the amount of $20,000 will secure a reservation. Deposits may be assigned to the individual of your choosing and are fully refundable minus a small handling fee. You can even receive a 10% discount for a charter flight carrying up to six astronauts. Reserving now also permits future astronauts intimate involvement in the project by way of exclusive invitations to events surrounding project milestones.

 

             Fewer than 500 people have ever been into space and already there are about 300 more who have made their deposits. Contact me to reserve your loved ones a place in history!

 

                                                               Happy Holidays,

                                                             Barbara King,ASA

        Barbara King  |  Co-President  |  greatgetaways.travel  |  913.338.2244  |  800.546.TRIP  |  Virtuoso Member

                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

If you want the "Real Deal" here it is!

Watch Virgin Galactic’s official video of the unveiling of SpaceShip 2, the VSS Enterprise!!!

Barbara King  |  Co-President  |  greatgetaways.travel  |  913.338.2244  |  800.546.TRIP  |  Virtuoso Member

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What an unbelievable few days!

I am on the bus headed for Mojave! It's kind of oxymoron to go by bus to see a spaceship! I have a silver admittance pass engraved w/ Virgin Galactic and a tattoo of evolution of flight.

-- Sent from my P

Just want to let you know the past few days have been unreal! I met the two test pilots who will put Spaceship 2 through all the test flights. One is from Scaled Composites (Burt Rutan's company) and the other is from Virgin Galactic. Both have amazing credentials and are seasoned veterans. We were also briefed on US rules and regulations that sounded like alphabet soup to me. I learned about ITAR (to monitor weapons, terrorism, etc) which has to do with anything exported by the US and SDN, a project of the Treasury Department and OFAC or ABCDEFG!!! The Executive Director of Spaceport America spoke as did his Virgin Galactic counterpart. Tonight we learned about US initiatives for different types of space programs related to military defense and future projects such as orbital solar panels. We also discussed other companies role in this new era of space exploration and how all of these projects will provide data that will lead to the next step---routine use of orbital flights for consumers and payload.

I could go on and on. Bottom line---it finally hit me---this is not just Richard Branson's novelty; this is serious business. Sometimes, I think I start buying into people's skepticism and I forget how very real all of this is. We are pioneers in a whole new industry---consumer space tourism and private space exploration and commerce. I have become a pending member of the International Organization for Space Tourism and Commerce and will probably attend the first symposium for it in July, 2010.