July 29, 2008 by Paul Godden
in 'Cool, Design, New Technology, Space'
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Richard Branson and designer Burt Rutan unveiled the “WhiteKnightTwo” (WK2) in the Mojave desert - the vehicle which will carry the equally badly named “SpaceShipTwo” (SS2) into what is technically a sub-orbit around the Earth.
After previously only seen as a computer generated render, it’s good to see the vehicle in the flesh. Especially so as the aircraft was created completely within a computer - with no full sized models to aid in testing. The aircraft, made completely of carbon composites, has been designed with versatility in mind too - meaning that in the future the platform can be used for things other than the SS2. The WK2 has a ceiling of around about 50,000 ft, which will give the SS2 a kick start into the atmosphere - where it can fire it’s rockets to take the lucky inhabitants up to an altitude of over 350,000 ft.
The tickets cost £100,000 each although I think Richard Branson only really wants to break even - I reckon with his cash, the idea is more appealing than the profit.
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