Comments on: SS2: more interesting items

By: Dom

Dom — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:02:17 +0000

Do you know why SpaceDev was dumped? I thought their technology was part of the SS1 success.

By: David Gadbois

David Gadbois — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:13:58 +0000

One detail that hasn’t really gone noticed about Scaled Composites: the fact that they dumped SpaceDev, the makers of the SS1 hybrid rocket, and are making their hybrid rocket in-house for SS2.

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:35:34 +0000

Jeff –

Thanks for keeping up such a wonderful simple site. I visit it regularly.

Regarding the Scaled Composites/Cal-OSHA report, whenever that comes out, if you’re keeping an eye out for it, please throw up a link to it.

By: Garrett Smith

Garrett Smith — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:12:06 +0000

Jeff, I saw two interesting details in the new pictures and videos.

1) SS2 and the WK2 cabins have one main door on the front lower left for ground access. In addition, they have what appears to be an emergency exit for the 2nd passenger on the right. The fuselage cutout is larger than the window and the outline of this can also be seen in the video animations.

2) Previously, Virgin was saying that passengers would be able to hang out in the WK2 cabin before transferring to SS2. This is obviously not possible anymore. What happens now to a passenger who needs to use the restroom after 1-1/2 hours of cruising to altitude and just before the launch sequence? Nothing insurmountable but could be uncomfortable given the jitters a nervous passenger will have as the launch window approaches.

By: Peter Shearer

Peter Shearer — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:19:23 +0000

Here’s a brief video of the two vehicles being assembled…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8XaJbwwT68

And the standard promo video with updated 3d models of the design…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBo8t0B5NhM