The US Air Force showed that it could build satellites cheaper and better than NASA with it's tiny moon orbiter. Since then, (secret for awhile) the air force has built it's own small space shuttle that, although, much smaller, is a major improvement on the old space shuttle.
NASA's budget for manned spaceflight has essentially been eliminated in the near future by Obama, but maybe the US is about to have a "Space Force".

Sign me up!

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4446581/unmanned-us-spacecraft-returns-to-earth/

Just remember, in space, it's never "Miller Time."



Something about the pressure release from popping the beer tab causing premature re-entry.

I seem to recall some astronaut footage where they were drinking coke. I don't see why opening a beer would be more dangerous than soda.

Both carbonated beverages would be dangerous. Spacecraft normally operate at reduced atmospheric pressure. Originally, they operated at 5 psi of pure oxygen but the Apollo fire that killed three astronauts showed that pure oxygen was too dangerous.

The difference between the partial carbon dioxide pressure inside the can and the pressure outside the can causes the "blast" when the can is opened.

I read an article about a few missions when astronauts were cleared to fly even though they were intoxicated. Can you really blame them for not wanting to go up sober?

Also, does anybody know when Spaceship Two will be making it's first powered flight?

Rutan is fairly secretive about it. There are a number of obstacles that didn't apply to Spaceship One that need serious attention.

For example the air supply for Spaceship One was just a pressure tank and was regulated by a hole in the spaceship with a cork. Very low tech but very simple and effective. Paying passengers will want a little better system.

A primary criteria was also reuseability. This criteria is also a big design issue for the second design. Count on Burt to do (as always) a good job.

I would expect them to change rocket designs to one that doesn't use old tires. The black smoke and stink of the tires is pretty low class.

They've tested the rocket, and done unpowered glides several times. At this point, it seems to be only a matter of putting everything together. It should be happening fairly soon. They can still make a few adjustments after a powered tet flight before passengers start flying. I hate how everything Virgin Galactic and the Spaceship Company seems to be announced after it's already happened.

I am wondering how strigent the medical examination will have to be for Virgin Galactic's passengers.

Feather re-entry is a rough ride.

would be roughly 5 g's of hard deceleration to accomplish re-entry of a composite skin vehicle to avoid burning from atmospheric friction...

Unless my math be wrong.

They cleared Stephen Hawking to fly on a "vomit comet." They actually got the rules changed for him.

"More glides will follow in the months ahead to fine-tune the plane's aerodynamics. SpaceShipTwo's first powered tests, which will involve actually lighting up the plane's hybrid rocket engine, are expected to begin next year. The rocket ship's designer, Burt Rutan, has said he'd like to fly 50 to 100 tests before SpaceShipTwo begins commercial service — which would likely mean the first paying passengers could step aboard in 2012 or 2013."

Rutan is moving very slowly on this one. Lawsuits stopped him from designing planes early in his career (not his fault). The plane I used to have from him was one of the best.