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credit: Virgin Galactic / caption: could SpaceShipTwo use a liquid propulsion system?

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo could be a single stage to suborbit vehicle using liquid chemical propulsion according to independent research carried out by a company that has been contracted by the European Space Agency for suborbital and hypersonic transport studies

UK company Gas Dynamics has concluded, after its own internal study, using all the publicly available material it could obtain about SS2, that the spacecraft does not need its carrier aircraft WhiteKnight Two if it is fitted with a liquid chemical propulsion system

For any US nationals or green card holders that are interested Virgin Galactic is advertising for a head of safety on the Virgin group website. The role also works for The Spaceship Company (TSC),  a Mojave based Virgin group, Scaled Composites joint venture that is the Boeing, shall we say, to Virgin Galactic's Virgin Atlantic. The head of safety will make public appearences as well

The advert says:

VG/TSC is seeking a first rate qualified Head of Safety to define and develop Virgin Galactic's operational safety approach, and to lead the establishment of the Galactic Group safety policies & framework.

and that the role will

• Be responsible for the risk management process at the core of the SMS, from hazard identification and analysis to development of mitigation approaches. Emphasis will be on integrating Scaled Composites / TSC's space launch system hazard analyses, VG LLC's operationally focused hazard analyses, and Spaceport America/NMSA's infrastructure and airspace analyses.

and that it will

• Develop, with the Chief Pilot and their team, emergency scenarios and appropriate action plans or mitigation approaches. These should include dress rehearsals and emergency / incident response plans in accordance with FAA and stakeholder requirements.

Congrats to the "Gupmyster" on his video of the WhiteKnight Two-SpaceShipTwo first captive carry flight take-off and landing. You could have earned yourself some cash if you'd sold it to us Gupmyster!

Watch this 22s video of Virgin Galactic's first SpaceShipTwo (SS2) captive carry flight on 22 March 2010 as the WhiteKnight Twi, SS2 vehicles pass over Mojave

credit: Flightglobal.com / caption: Virgin Galactic's first SpaceShipTwo, captive carry flight on 22 March 2010

Hyperbola will add more as details become available but it seems that at about 07:15h Pacific Daylight Time (14:15h GMT) today Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnight Two VMS Eve carrier aircraft took off from runway 26 at Mojave air and spaceport with SpaceShipTwo attached

credit: Flightglobal.com / caption: click on the images to see larger versions in the same browser window

Click through to the extended portion of this blog to see another photo, with more to be added over the next 24h and possibly video. Use of these images for anything other than personal viewing, not blogs or media outlets is prohibited

Blogs

• The Virgin Galactic programme in full

Galleries

• Virgin Galactic
• Richard Branson
• WhiteKinght Two arrives at Oshkosh 2009

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo (SS2) Enterprise could make its first flight today, this morning California time, attached to its carrier aircraft WhiteKnight Two, aka Virgin MotherShip (VMS) Eve, if rumours reaching Hyperbola are true - multiple sources have contacted Hyperbola citing preparations and naming today as the expected first attempt

Already seen last week with aerodynamic testing tufts attached to its fuselage the rocket glider SS2 will undergo captive carry flights for the rest of this year with its first air launch drop for a glide return to a Mojave air and spaceport's runway possible by year's end

SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnight Two developer Scaled Composites has posted results from two WK2 flights made earlier this year, 28 January and 4 March, on its website

If any Mojave residents wish to provide Hyperbola with photos and or video (preferably video) of today's WK2-SS2 take-off and flight then feel free to email me and I can provide further details. This blog does not need minutes of video, <60 seconds is enough but it will be needed quickly

In this blog post will be a series of images from the unveiling ceremony and party for SpaceShipTwo on 7 December 2009 at Mojave air and spaceport

click on any of the pictures in this blog post to see larger versions in the same browser window

credit Flight/Alan Radecki / caption: WK2/SS2 launch system and above (L-R) Will Whitehorn, Richard Branson, Stephen Attenborough


credit: Flight/Alan Radecki / caption: Scaled Composites project team for Tier 1b

all images credited to Virgin Galactic - click on any to see a larger version in the same browser window