How about this for an out of this world Valentine?
Travelingking
Imagine . Create . Experience
Filed underspace travel
Holy Media, Batman, look at this front page story!
The second stroke of luck was getting to meet Lee Hill Kavanaugh, a features writer for the Kansas City Star. She is a delight and oh so interesting! A multi-degreed talent, Lee spent a few years sailing the oceans aboard some legendary cruise ships, entertaining guests with her music. She and her artist, musician husband, have two children.
Lee is a woman of many interests and passions and I look forward to getting to know her better. Here's her story about me, which was prominently placed on the FRONT PAGE, by the way:
Click on the link below to read Lee's story about my passion for space travel and Virging Galactic:
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/07/3358123/leawood-travel-adviser-offers.html#storylink=cpy
Fly me to the moon...
That song is getting closer to reality! While many of you know that I represent Virgin Galactic, this may be "NEWS" to some of you. Yesterday the New York Times ran an article about the burgeoning industry of consumer space flight, featuring Virgin Galactic, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/04/science/space/spaceflights-prepare-to-expand-customer-base.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=virgin%20galactic&st=cse . I've given two media interviews thanks to that article and that spurred this blog post. Maybe I could remind people that I sell flights into space as well as flight within the world's atmosphere!
In 2009 I attended the gala unveiling of Virgin Galactic's Spaceship, the VSS Enterprise. 850 people from around the world gathered in Mojave, California to be part of that historic moment, the beginning of a new frontier of the consumer travel industry. As the mother ship, with the spaceship securely attached, rolled into the viewing area, I remember the whole crowd became silent, in anticipation and awe. When Governors Schwarzenagger and Richardson joined Sir Richard Branson in christening the ship, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I realized I was experiencing a significant milestone in history. Years from now, when my toddler-aged grandsons are older and space travel more commonplace, I hope the boys will brag, "My grandma was at the christening of the first consumer spaceship!" Then again, by that time, rather than the exception, people traveling in Space will be the norm and its beginning might be a long-ago faded memory. How cool would that be? Either way, Virgin Galactic gave me an incredible life experience.
What are your thoughts about Space flight?
How about this for an Out of This World Holiday gift?
Ready to see the world from a different perspective? Let me help you reserve a seat aboard a Virgin Galactic's Suborbital Space flight! Talk about a gift that will be remembered!
Below is a video of the recent dedication ceremony at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Enjoy!
Space is VIRGIN territory: an update on Virgin Galactic
Watch a video of the latest test flights! Every time I watch it, I get so excited! By the way, did you know that the Virgin Galactic Hanger Facility at Spaceport America was recently dedicated? Remember, if you want to experience a suborbital space flight aboard Virgin Galactic, contact me, Barbara@greatgetaway.com
Space Bulletin: A New Dawn
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Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space 
Dancers Perform for the Crowd 
Gov. Susana Martinez & Sir Richard Branson 
Buzz Aldrin & Sir Richard Branson |
A NEW DAWN... October 17th, 2011 saw passage of a major milestone in the fast-developing arena of commercial space operations. Fledgling space line Virgin Galactic held a dedication ceremony for their newly completed Terminal Hangar Facility.As the anchor tenants at Spaceport America, the company worked closely with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority to design and build a truly unique structure for their new base of operations. The LEED Gold certified building was designed by renowned architects Foster + Partners, who went to great lengths to ensure the structure blended in to its natural surroundings while still evoking the new space age. Those attending the event agreed these objectives have been achieved.Hundreds of Virgin Galactic customers, dignitaries and international media gathered at the gleaming new facility to witness another historic stop along the road to commercial space tourism. The group was welcomed by Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson. During his remarks he spoke about the imperative behind the cause and the need to be pioneers at the dawn of a new phase in human achievement. The customers in attendance were acknowledged for their crucial role in paving the way for a future of affordable space tourism and transport.During the ceremony, it was announced that new flight reservations have been made by research and education institutions to support research initiatives and inspire students. Purdue University, Space Florida, The Challenger Center for Space Education and Southwest Research Institute were recognized as the most recent participants in this new growth area for Virgin Galactic.During the ceremonies, Richard Branson invited the group to enjoy a performance by two very special guests at which point WhiteKnightTwo carrying SpaceShipTwo taxied out to take off from Spaceport America for a stunning flight demonstration. To conclude the events of the day and as part of the ceremony to formally name the new building 'Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space', Richard and his children Holly and Sam, who will be the first commercial passengers on SpaceShipTwo rappelled together from the balcony of the striking new building, bringing the event to a spectacular conclusion. To find out more about Virgin Galactic and how you can become a part of history, contact your Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Agent... Barbara King
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The VIRGIN GALACTIC name and logos, the GALACTIC logo and IRIS device are trademarks of Virgin Enterprises Limited. |
Your Travel Dreams Revealed in this Issue of Virtuoso Life
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Here's Friday's "Who Knew?" We're Spacy about inventions!
Many of you know that Barbara King, co-President of Great Getaways, was selected by Sir Richard Branson (think Virgin Group as in Virgin Records, Virgin Telephone, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, etc) as an Accredited Space Agent for Virgin Galactic. There are approximately 125 representatives around the world and King was one of the first 47 in the US.
This month Virgin Galactic continued testing it's Spaceship, the VSS Enterprise, and racked up success after success. Also, NASA recently launched its second to last space shuttle this month. So, with travel into Space being so newsworthy, we offer you this quiz:
NASA was responsible for several of the technologies we use today in everyday life. Below is a list of direct inventions and spinoff ideas that resulted from NASA inventions. There are also 3 items on the list that are NOT invented by or results from NASA. Can you identify the 3? They were already in existence and simply got tied in the "NASA creations" by association.
Invisible braces
Velcro
Scratch resistant lenses
Freeze-dried food
Ear Thermometer
Satellite TV
Shock absorbing shoe insoles
Cordless tools
Teflon
Cat Scans and MRI technology
Memory foam
Tang
Adjustable Smoke Alarms
Water purification systems
The 3 items that were used by NASA but not created by NASA nor a spinoff of a NASA invention are:
(drum roll, please.....oh, the suspense is killing me!)
Velcro
Teflon
Tang
.....who knew?
WHAT A DIFFERENCE 50 YEARS MAKES: FROM COSMONAUTS TO COSMO GIRLS, SPACE TRAVEL APPEALS TO ADVENTURERS OF ALL TYPES
Big news about Virgin Galactic!
Another milestone for Virgin Galactic!
Today Virgin Galactic tested the feathering of the wings of Spaceship 2, also known as VSS Enterprise! Consumer Space travel is a reality! Have you made a reservation yet to be among the first 1000 people to experience Space? I will assist you in reserving a seat aboard VSS Enterprise. Email barbara@greatgetaway.com now.
Read the Press Release from Virgin Galactic below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SpaceShipTwo's First "Feathered" Flight Marks Latest Milestone for Virgin Galactic.
SpaceShipTwo's First "Feathered" Flight Marks Latest Milestone for Virgin Galactic.
Early on Wednesday 4th May 2011, in the skies above Mojave Air and Spaceport CA, SpaceShipTwo, the world's first commercial spaceship, demonstrated its unique reentry ‘feather’ configuration for the first time. This test flight, the third in less than two weeks, marks another major milestone on the path to powered test flights and commercial operations.
SpaceShipTwo (SS2), named VSS Enterprise, has now flown solo seven times since its public roll-out in December 2009 and since the completion of its ground and captive -carry test program.
This latest flight saw a 6:43AM (local) runway take off for VSS Enterprise, attached to its
WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft, VMS Eve. At the controls of the of the spaceship were Scaled Composites' test pilots Pete Siebold and Clint Nichols whilst Mark Stucky, Brian Maisler and Brandon Inks crewed the purpose built, all composite, twin fuselage WK2.
After a 45 minute climb to the desired altitude of 51,500 feet, SS2 was released cleanly from VMS Eve and established a stable glide profile before deploying, for the first time, its re-entry or "feathered" configuration by rotating the tail section of the vehicle upwards to a 65 degree angle to the fuselage. It remained in this configuration with the vehicle's body at a level pitch for approximately 1 minute and 15 seconds whilst descending, almost vertically, at around 15,500 feet per minute, slowed by the powerful shuttlecock-like drag created by the raised tail section. At around 33,500 feet the pilots reconfigured the spaceship to its normal glide mode and executed a smooth runway touch down, approximately 11 minutes and 5 seconds after its release from VMS Eve.
All objectives for the flight were met and detailed flight data is now being analysed by the engineers at Scaled Composites, designers and builders of Virgin Galactic's sub-orbital spacecraft.
George Whitesides, CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, said: "This morning's spectacular flight by VSS Enterprise was its third in 12 days, reinforcing the fast turnaround and frequent flight-rate potential of Virgin Galactic's new vehicles. We have also shown this morning that the unique feathering re-entry mechanism, probably the single most important safety innovation within the whole system, works perfectly. This is yet another important milestone successfully passed for Virgin Galactic, and brings us ever closer to the start of commercial operations. Credit is due to the whole Scaled team, whose meticulous planning and great skill are changing the course of history."
Pete Siebold, who along with Clint Nichols piloted the spaceship added: "In all test flight programs, after the training, planning and rehearsing, there comes the moment when
you have to go up there and fly it for real. This morning's flight was a test pilot's dream. The spaceship is a joy to fly and the feathered descent portion added a new, unusual but wonderful dynamic to the ride.
The fact that it all went according to plan and that there were no surprises is a great testament to the whole team."
SpaceShipTwo (SS2), named VSS Enterprise, has now flown solo seven times since its public roll-out in December 2009 and since the completion of its ground and captive -carry test program.
This latest flight saw a 6:43AM (local) runway take off for VSS Enterprise, attached to its
WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft, VMS Eve. At the controls of the of the spaceship were Scaled Composites' test pilots Pete Siebold and Clint Nichols whilst Mark Stucky, Brian Maisler and Brandon Inks crewed the purpose built, all composite, twin fuselage WK2.
After a 45 minute climb to the desired altitude of 51,500 feet, SS2 was released cleanly from VMS Eve and established a stable glide profile before deploying, for the first time, its re-entry or "feathered" configuration by rotating the tail section of the vehicle upwards to a 65 degree angle to the fuselage. It remained in this configuration with the vehicle's body at a level pitch for approximately 1 minute and 15 seconds whilst descending, almost vertically, at around 15,500 feet per minute, slowed by the powerful shuttlecock-like drag created by the raised tail section. At around 33,500 feet the pilots reconfigured the spaceship to its normal glide mode and executed a smooth runway touch down, approximately 11 minutes and 5 seconds after its release from VMS Eve.
All objectives for the flight were met and detailed flight data is now being analysed by the engineers at Scaled Composites, designers and builders of Virgin Galactic's sub-orbital spacecraft.
George Whitesides, CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, said: "This morning's spectacular flight by VSS Enterprise was its third in 12 days, reinforcing the fast turnaround and frequent flight-rate potential of Virgin Galactic's new vehicles. We have also shown this morning that the unique feathering re-entry mechanism, probably the single most important safety innovation within the whole system, works perfectly. This is yet another important milestone successfully passed for Virgin Galactic, and brings us ever closer to the start of commercial operations. Credit is due to the whole Scaled team, whose meticulous planning and great skill are changing the course of history."
Pete Siebold, who along with Clint Nichols piloted the spaceship added: "In all test flight programs, after the training, planning and rehearsing, there comes the moment when
you have to go up there and fly it for real. This morning's flight was a test pilot's dream. The spaceship is a joy to fly and the feathered descent portion added a new, unusual but wonderful dynamic to the ride.
The fact that it all went according to plan and that there were no surprises is a great testament to the whole team."
Wing Feathering for Re-Entry
Perhaps the most innovative safety feature employed by SpaceshipOne and now SpaceShipTwo is the unique way it returns into the dense atmosphere from the vacuum of space. This part of space flight has always been considered as one of the most technically challenging and dangerous and Burt Rutan was determined to find a failsafe solution which remained true to Scaled Composite's philosophy of safety through simplicity. His inspiration for what is known as the feathered re-entry was the humble shuttlecock, which like SpaceShipTwo relies on aerodynamic design and laws of physics to control speed and attitude.
Once out of the atmosphere the entire tail structure of the spaceship can be rotated upwards to about 65º. The feathered configuration allows an automatic control of attitude with the fuselage parallel to the horizon. This creates very high drag as the spacecraft descends through the upper regions of the atmosphere. The feather configuration is also highly stable, effectively giving the pilot a hands-free reentry capability, something that has not been possible on spacecraft before, without resorting to computer controlled fly-by-wire systems. The combination of high drag and low weight (due to the very light materials used to construct the vehicle) mean that the skin temperature during re-entry stays very low compared to previous manned spacecraft and thermal protection systems such as heat shields or tiles are not needed. During a full sub-orbital spaceflight, at around 70,000ft following re-entry, the feather lowers to its original configuration and the spaceship becomes a glider for the flight back to the spaceport runway.
Perhaps the most innovative safety feature employed by SpaceshipOne and now SpaceShipTwo is the unique way it returns into the dense atmosphere from the vacuum of space. This part of space flight has always been considered as one of the most technically challenging and dangerous and Burt Rutan was determined to find a failsafe solution which remained true to Scaled Composite's philosophy of safety through simplicity. His inspiration for what is known as the feathered re-entry was the humble shuttlecock, which like SpaceShipTwo relies on aerodynamic design and laws of physics to control speed and attitude.
Once out of the atmosphere the entire tail structure of the spaceship can be rotated upwards to about 65º. The feathered configuration allows an automatic control of attitude with the fuselage parallel to the horizon. This creates very high drag as the spacecraft descends through the upper regions of the atmosphere. The feather configuration is also highly stable, effectively giving the pilot a hands-free reentry capability, something that has not been possible on spacecraft before, without resorting to computer controlled fly-by-wire systems. The combination of high drag and low weight (due to the very light materials used to construct the vehicle) mean that the skin temperature during re-entry stays very low compared to previous manned spacecraft and thermal protection systems such as heat shields or tiles are not needed. During a full sub-orbital spaceflight, at around 70,000ft following re-entry, the feather lowers to its original configuration and the spaceship becomes a glider for the flight back to the spaceport runway.
About Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is on track to be the world’s first commercial spaceline. The new spaceship (VSS Enterprise) and Mothership (VMS Eve) are both being developed for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic by Mojave-based Scaled Composites. Founded by Burt Rutan, Scaled developed SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 claimed the $10m Ansari X Prize as the world’s first privately developed manned spacecraft. Virgin Galactic’s new vehicles share much of the same basic design but are being built to carry six customers on sub-orbital space flights, allowing an out-of-the-seat zero gravity experience and offering astounding views of the planet from the black sky of space. The VSS Enterprise test flight program will continue through 2011, prior to commercial operations, which will be based at Virgin Galactic’s future headquarters at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
Virgin Galactic is on track to be the world’s first commercial spaceline. The new spaceship (VSS Enterprise) and Mothership (VMS Eve) are both being developed for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic by Mojave-based Scaled Composites. Founded by Burt Rutan, Scaled developed SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 claimed the $10m Ansari X Prize as the world’s first privately developed manned spacecraft. Virgin Galactic’s new vehicles share much of the same basic design but are being built to carry six customers on sub-orbital space flights, allowing an out-of-the-seat zero gravity experience and offering astounding views of the planet from the black sky of space. The VSS Enterprise test flight program will continue through 2011, prior to commercial operations, which will be based at Virgin Galactic’s future headquarters at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
Barbara King standing in front of VSS Entertprise December 7, 2009
