SpaceShip III (SS3, also with Roman numeral III; formerly SpaceShipThree) is an upcoming class of spaceplanes by Virgin Galactic to follow SpaceShipTwo. It was first teased on the Virgin Galactic Twitter account on 25 February 2021 announcing the rollout of the first SpaceShip III plane on 30 March 2021.[1]
By 2008, Scaled Composites had reduced those plans and articulated a conceptual design that would be a point-to-point vehicle traveling outside the atmosphere.[4] By 2008, the SpaceShipThree concept was to be used for transportation through point-to-point suborbital spaceflight with the spacecraft providing, for example, a two-hour trip on the Kangaroo Route (from London to Sydney or Melbourne).[4]
Scaled was sold to Northrop Grumman in 2007,[5] and references to further work on a conceptual Scaled SS3 ended at some point afterwards from Scaled. Scaled was realigned by Northrop Grumman in 2015 as a research unit.[6] Virgin Galactic acquired full control of The Spaceship Company in 2012, the manufacturer of SS2.[7] The technology was built upon the base technology owned by Mojave Aerospace Ventures of Paul Allen, originally licensed in 2004.[8][9] As Allen died in 2018,[10] subsequent space activities of the Vulcan Group went inactive.
The current SpaceShip III is designed to provide just a few minutes of weightlessness and views for space tourists for Virgin Galactic, and is a production version of SpaceShipTwo,[12] with improved maintenance and flight rate performance. It does not have point to point transportation capabilities as previously envisioned in 2016.[11]
In early 2021, Virgin Galactic teased an upcoming vehicle on their Twitter account with the name shown in stylized font as "SPACESHIP 3".[1]
Developmentedit
The first Spaceship III, VSS Imagine, was rolled out on 30 March 2021. On that occasion, it was indicated there was ground testing to be done before glide test flights could commence, no earlier than the summer of 2021.[12]
^ abVirgin Galactic [@VirginGalactic] (February 25, 2021). "The Future of the Fleet. Rollout, March 30th" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^"SpaceShipThree poised to follow if SS2 succeeds". Flight International. FlightGlobal. 23 August 2005. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
^Leonard David (11 August 2006). "Burt Rutan on Civilian Spaceflight, Breakthroughs, and Inside SpaceShipTwo". Space.com.
^ abSpaceShipThree revealed?, FlightGlobal Hyperbola, Rob Coppinger, 29 Feb 2008
^ "Northrop buys the rest of Scaled Composites". Albuquerque Business First. Business Journals. 27 August 2007.
^ James Drew (6 August 2015). "Northrop realigns Scaled Composites under advanced research unit". Flight Global.
^ "Virgin Galactic Acquires Full Ownership of The Spaceship Company". Business Wire. 5 October 2012.
^ "Exhibit 10.27: Spacecraft Technology License Agreement". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. EX-10.27.
^"Virgin Group Sign Deal with Paul G. Allen's Mojave Aerospace". SpaceRef. 27 September 2004.[permanent dead link]
^ Steve Lohr (15 October 2018). "Paul G. Allen, Microsoft's Co-Founder, Is Dead at 65". New York Times.
^ abIrene Klotz (19 February 2016). "Branson's Virgin Galactic moves to return to space race". Reuters.
^ ab"Meet VSS Imagine: Virgin Galactic unveils its first SpaceShip III spacecraft". Space.com. 30 March 2021.
^ ab Darrell Etherington (30 March 2021). "Virgin Galactic debuts its first third-generation spaceship, 'VSS Imagine'". TechCrunch.
External linksedit
Space tourism companies aiming for orbit (New Scientist Space, 8/24/2005)
January 01, 1970
spaceship, also, with, roman, numeral, formerly, spaceshipthree, upcoming, class, spaceplanes, virgin, galactic, follow, spaceshiptwo, first, teased, virgin, galactic, twitter, account, february, 2021, announcing, rollout, first, plane, march, 2021, typespacep. SpaceShip III SS3 also with Roman numeral III formerly SpaceShipThree is an upcoming class of spaceplanes by Virgin Galactic to follow SpaceShipTwo It was first teased on the Virgin Galactic Twitter account on 25 February 2021 announcing the rollout of the first SpaceShip III plane on 30 March 2021 1 SpaceShip IIITypeSpaceplaneManufacturerVirgin Galactic Contents 1 Concept evolution 2 Revised concept 3 Development 4 List of vehicles 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksConcept evolution editThe purpose originally proposed for SpaceShipThree in 2005 was for commercial orbital spaceflight as part of a program called Tier 2 by Burt Rutan founder of Scaled Composites 2 3 By 2008 Scaled Composites had reduced those plans and articulated a conceptual design that would be a point to point vehicle traveling outside the atmosphere 4 By 2008 the SpaceShipThree concept was to be used for transportation through point to point suborbital spaceflight with the spacecraft providing for example a two hour trip on the Kangaroo Route from London to Sydney or Melbourne 4 Scaled was sold to Northrop Grumman in 2007 5 and references to further work on a conceptual Scaled SS3 ended at some point afterwards from Scaled Scaled was realigned by Northrop Grumman in 2015 as a research unit 6 Virgin Galactic acquired full control of The Spaceship Company in 2012 the manufacturer of SS2 7 The technology was built upon the base technology owned by Mojave Aerospace Ventures of Paul Allen originally licensed in 2004 8 9 As Allen died in 2018 10 subsequent space activities of the Vulcan Group went inactive By 2016 Richard Branson was still planning to have a point to point sub orbital spaceliner follow up to SpaceShipTwo for Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company 11 Revised concept editThe current SpaceShip III is designed to provide just a few minutes of weightlessness and views for space tourists for Virgin Galactic and is a production version of SpaceShipTwo 12 with improved maintenance and flight rate performance It does not have point to point transportation capabilities as previously envisioned in 2016 11 In early 2021 Virgin Galactic teased an upcoming vehicle on their Twitter account with the name shown in stylized font as SPACESHIP 3 1 Development editThe first Spaceship III VSS Imagine was rolled out on 30 March 2021 On that occasion it was indicated there was ground testing to be done before glide test flights could commence no earlier than the summer of 2021 12 List of vehicles editName Unveil date In service date Out of service date Notes VSS Imagine 2021 TBA TBA First SSIII 13 VSS Inspire TBA TBA TBA Second announced SSIII 13 See also editStratolaunch Systems Supersonic transportReferences edit a b Virgin Galactic VirginGalactic February 25 2021 The Future of the Fleet Rollout March 30th Tweet via Twitter SpaceShipThree poised to follow if SS2 succeeds Flight International FlightGlobal 23 August 2005 Retrieved 2008 01 25 Leonard David 11 August 2006 Burt Rutan on Civilian Spaceflight Breakthroughs and Inside SpaceShipTwo Space com a b SpaceShipThree revealed FlightGlobal Hyperbola Rob Coppinger 29 Feb 2008 Northrop buys the rest of Scaled Composites Albuquerque Business First Business Journals 27 August 2007 James Drew 6 August 2015 Northrop realigns Scaled Composites under advanced research unit Flight Global Virgin Galactic Acquires Full Ownership of The Spaceship Company Business Wire 5 October 2012 Exhibit 10 27 Spacecraft Technology License Agreement U S Securities and Exchange Commission EX 10 27 Virgin Group Sign Deal with Paul G Allen s Mojave Aerospace SpaceRef 27 September 2004 permanent dead link Steve Lohr 15 October 2018 Paul G Allen Microsoft s Co Founder Is Dead at 65 New York Times a b Irene Klotz 19 February 2016 Branson s Virgin Galactic moves to return to space race Reuters a b Meet VSS Imagine Virgin Galactic unveils its first SpaceShip III spacecraft Space com 30 March 2021 a b Darrell Etherington 30 March 2021 Virgin Galactic debuts its first third generation spaceship VSS Imagine TechCrunch External links editSpace tourism companies aiming for orbit New Scientist Space 8 24 2005 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SpaceShip III amp oldid 1218973263, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
