Space Ship 2

**richkat** · #1 04-29-2013, 04:40 PM

Space Ship 2 made it's first powered flight today breaking the sound barrier on a short test run....see it at Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Big Rocket Test: Reactions & Celebrations | Space.com .......COOL......Rich

**airdave** · #2 04-29-2013, 06:41 PM

awesome isn't it?!

**Scott K** · #3 04-29-2013, 06:59 PM

On another page, linked form the above, I see that they've named Spaceship Two "VSS Enterprise". Something new to me, anyway.

Scott K.

**umtutsut** · #4 04-30-2013, 07:47 AM

Paper Replika has a 1/100 model: Space

Les (The Voice of Authority)

**nebeltex** · #5 10-31-2014, 01:11 PM

Crashed today.... one injury, one fatality. :(

Virgin Galactic spaceship crashes during California test flight

**Isaac** · #6 10-31-2014, 01:31 PM

It crashed.

On the news. Check you favorite source.

Isaac

**eagleclaw4935** · #7 10-31-2014, 05:31 PM

This has not been a good week for space related activities.

**bdismont737** · #8 11-02-2014, 06:10 PM

Here's an article from the Daily Mail UK. It has a diagram that shows that the Spaceship II crew had escape pods very similar to the XB-70. Interesting the Galactic survivor had suffered a shoulder injury, similar to the XB-70 survivor. There is a wiki entry for the XB-70 that includes details of the crash as well as a link to the escape pod.. I'm still not sure if the Spaceship II is large enough to carry and integrate the pods.

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2817421/The-explosion-not-surprise-Russian-roulette-scientists-repeatedly-warned-Virgin-Galactic-safety-issues-revealed-THREE-Branson-s-engineers-recently-quit.html]How Virgin Galactic was repeatedly warned over safety issues before crash | Daily Mail Online

**bdismont737** · #9 11-03-2014, 07:55 AM

The latest reports today say that Spaceships II's engine and fuel tanks were found intact. They are report that an Uncommanded deployment of the feathering system is probably the cause of the breakup.

bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29876154

**airdave** · #10 11-03-2014, 10:42 AM

I am totally confused by this...any rocket scientists wanna explain?

The "feathering system" is the rotating of the entire twin rudder/tail fins on this spacecraft.
They rotate upwards, effectively becoming an airbrake to slow the craft for "re-entry".

Reports says the deplyoment happened at mach 1...but should have occured at mach 1.4
Okay, so something happened before it was supposed to
and caused a catastrophe during flight.
I get that.

But I don't understand the idea behind the destruction of the aircraft when the feathering occured at a slower speed than normally intended?
Isn't it like Landing gear, if you drop them at too high a speed, you could literally rip the gear off? or rip the wngs off?

Or...is there more turbulence at mach 1...and its smoother at 1.4?
Then, what happens when you deploy at mach 1.4,
and slow the craft down to mach 1...
would the turbulence not return and just rip everything apart anyway?

I am completely confused by this explanation.