Space Ship Two down near Mojave

The unlocking is part of normal ops though. Sounds like he did it early (1.0M instead of 1.4M), but they aren't supposed to move after unlocking whether he did it at the right time or too early.
 
I watched the news conference last light. It's not a suggestion. There is video of the first officer unlocking them. Telemetry showing them coming unlocked, then s few seconds later, the thing comes apart.

If that's true, and it wasn't done for some logical reason, this might be less damning to commercial space flight than it is to having humans pilot commercial space aircraft.
 
The unlocking is part of normal ops though. Sounds like he did it early (1.0M instead of 1.4M), but they aren't supposed to move after unlocking whether he did it at the right time or too early.

Where did you find the info about the speed they are supposed to be unlocked? Just seems like something that should be fine after the ticket has done it's thing.
 
Actually from what I'm reading so far, there was an uncommanded feather - not a pilot initiated feather.
 
How do you get out? The hatch on bottom?

ss-091204-spaceshiptwo-08.ss_full.JPG

SS1s entire nose cone including the control panel would release forward and away from the spacecraft. The pilot could then climb out the front of the spacecraft. I would imagine the same design continues into SS2.
 
This is a good and interesting thread - I appreciate the discussion and firm opinions expressed with decorum. Collectively - thank you all for that.

I have a slightly different take on this...

We - as a group of tool-using primates - actually do know what we're doing up there. We understand the environment and the physics governing it. We are well-aware of proven methods to be able to achieve low orbit, geo synch or even translunar orbit. We even know enough about various methods to get to other planets.

What we're doing now is broadening the set of parameters we can work within to achieve the missions, and ultimately, make them profitable. NASA wasn't concerned with profitability or maximizing shareholder value, so they could focus on the engineering principles needed to get the mission done. We already know how to do this.

The envelope is getting pushed because resources are finite, and while Space is hard, there's a lot of ways to skin that cat, and we're trying to figure out the best ways because we have many more options than we used to. It's not that we don't know what we're doing; we absolutely do. We're just balancing the engineering against the needs and against the economics. You're seeing a subtle tug of war between those forces.


Drop that mic, son.
 
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