Virgin Galactic To Hurl Rockets To Space From A 747

Somehow the words "hurl" and "fling" are making me a little nervous about this project. The LauncherOne name needs a little work too.

“Air launch enables us to provide rapid, responsive service to our satellite customers on a schedule set by their business and operational needs, rather than the constraints of national launch ranges,” George Whitesides, Virgin Galactic’s chief executive officer, said in a statement Thursday.

They already did that in Superman Returns. It didn't work

Hmm, if this is a new approach to "buying a ticket to space" this could be viable.
This is the historic x-plane launch method and it works because of the hazards and expense of launching from the ground.

Considering all this a much better solution rather than a rocket would be a shuttle like craft that was a lifting body. It could launch from the belly of the airliner and rocket to space thus satisfying the the ticketed customers; then re-enter and fly back like the space shuttle did.

It's easy to get a rocket to space. It's hard to get it going fast enough to stay in space.

So this is useless unless they intend it to be a short trip.

Dr. Righteous said:

Hmm, if this is a new approach to "buying a ticket to space" this could be viable.
This is the historic x-plane launch method and it works because of the hazards and expense of launching from the ground.

Considering all this a much better solution rather than a rocket would be a shuttle like craft that was a lifting body. It could launch from the belly of the airliner and rocket to space thus satisfying the the ticketed customers; then re-enter and fly back like the space shuttle did.

Click to expand...

No people/passengers are mentioned in the article, SATELLITES. Old concept.. I'm quite sure it's still a disposable rocket. The savings is that the 747 is the reusable first stage.

"The commercial jet replaces WhiteKnightTwo, a twin-hulled carrier vehicle that will still be used to hoist a suborbital tourist craft."

I've tried this, I don't know how many, times in Kerbal Space Program. It never seems to work better than a pack of solid 1st stage boosters.

weebling1 said:

No people/passengers are mentioned in the article, SATELLITES. Old concept.. I'm quite sure it's still a disposable rocket. The savings is that the 747 is the reusable first stage.

"The commercial jet replaces WhiteKnightTwo, a twin-hulled carrier vehicle that will still be used to hoist a suborbital tourist craft."

Click to expand...

Understand all that;
BUT consider how to make money with the venture. A passenger bus holds a lot of people for a reason. The more you can haul on a trip the more $$$ you make.
The White Knight II is a prototype but I really don't think scaling that aircraft up and to the size needed to transport a large space craft (to carry a lot of passengers) would be very cost effective. Modifying a tried and true platform like a 747 or similar to a launch vehicle is probably a more effective approach.
For a more modern air frame; maybe a custom ordered Boeing 777 would fit the bill better. Just speculating here.