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Branson mulls Virgin America 2.0
Richard Branson, the founder and CEO of the Virgin Group, says he is considering setting up a successor carrier to Virgin America (VX, San Francisco, CA) a week after the airline announced its proposed sale to Alaska Airlines (AS, Seattle Tacoma Int'l) for a total of USD4 billion. (www.ch-aviation.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I recommend it be called "Extra" Virgin Airlines.
Important suggestion as this would avoid some people calling it "Was Virgin Airlines".
No it should be called extra olive virgin oil
A whole lot off subject but Branson should axe the low orbit rides and fund a amateur trip to the moon's surface(un-manned) If the low orbit gets going it's only going to kill the people stupid enough to trust the technology. The rich know how to make money and spend it but not judge this idea as very risky.
I don't understand the position you are presenting. Why focus on an unmanned shot at the moon, which is a simple (if costly) ballistics issue. Accepting your argument on risk, couldn't this be considered to present a Darwin Award scenario for the 0.001%. And the problem with that is?
Private mapping of the complete surface with no censoring of data, then to mars. If there is a fatal low orbital mission it will stop the program immediately, or they could cut the fee in half. That would get new seat fillers on the next flight.
Sorry Tim, but getting to space is not to difficult. Joe Walker did it twice in the X-15. The problem is sustaining flight there (something Branson is not currently doing). It is a couple miles straight up to "space". Sustained orbital flights are hard because you have to go fast horizontally and that takes a lot of energy. Then the issue becomes slowing down safely.(also takes a lot of energy).
Here is the real scam, you can feel the same weightless feeling on a parabolic flight for much less money. So all that money is being paid for 5 minutes of a slight view of the Earth's curve from really high. Gravity in low Earth orbit is almost as strong as gravity on the surface of Earth. The Space Station hasn't escaped Earth's gravity at all; it's experiencing about 90% the pull that we feel on the surface. To avoid falling back into the atmosphere, you have to go sideways really, really fast.
Here is the real scam, you can feel the same weightless feeling on a parabolic flight for much less money. So all that money is being paid for 5 minutes of a slight view of the Earth's curve from really high. Gravity in low Earth orbit is almost as strong as gravity on the surface of Earth. The Space Station hasn't escaped Earth's gravity at all; it's experiencing about 90% the pull that we feel on the surface. To avoid falling back into the atmosphere, you have to go sideways really, really fast.