https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-red-warning-light-on-richard-bransons-space-flight

This sounds a bit worrying. Should I hold off buying a seat on the next flight?

No one could pay me enough to risk my few remaining years for a ride on that death trap!

As usual, don't be fooled by media exaggeration.

 

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The New Yorker report is based on interviews with eight unnamed Virgin Galactic officials who are "knowledgeable about the program," the report states. 

 

In a statement emailed to Space.com, Virgin Galactic officials said, "We dispute the misleading characterizations and conclusions in the New Yorker article," adding that "The safety of our crew and passengers is Virgin Galactic's top priority. Our entire approach to spaceflight is guided by a fundamental commitment to safety at every level, including our spaceflight system, our test flight program and our rigorous pilot training protocol."

 

 

 

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However, the craft "did not fly outside of the lateral confines of the protected airspace," a Virgin Galactic spokesperson told Space.com. "As a result of the trajectory adjustment, the flight did drop below the altitude of the airspace that is protected for Virgin Galactic missions for a short distance and time (1 minute and 41 seconds) before reentering restricted airspace that is protected all the way to the ground for Virgin Galactic missions."

"At no time did the ship travel above any population centers or cause a hazard to the public," the spokesperson added.

 

 

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"Although the flight's ultimate trajectory deviated from our initial plan, it was a controlled and intentional flight path that allowed Unity 22 to successfully reach space and land safely at our Spaceport in New Mexico," the statement adds. "At no time were passengers and crew put in any danger as a result of this change in trajectory."

 

https://www.space.com/virgin-galactic-branson-flight-red-light-warning

 

Its not a death trap and the media exaggerate as usual. 👍🚀

19 minutes ago, n4gix said:

No one could pay me enough to risk my few remaining years for a ride on that death trap!

I'm 31 but I'd ride on it.... You only live once. I'd rather go out doing something cool than from cancer or somthing of the like. Just saying

Sounds like a beat up to me.

Red and amber warning lights on the console?

It sounds a bit antiquated to me for a spaceship, surely it should have an soothing female voice saying “ warning-warning” 

I think I'll wait and see what the FAA says.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/02/tech/richard-branson-virgin-galactic-space-danger-scn/index.html

 

1 hour ago, n4gix said:

No one could pay me enough to risk my few remaining years for a ride on that death trap!

He is certainly not a Gus Grissom!

 

22 minutes ago, jon b said:

surely it should have an soothing female voice saying “ warning-warning” 

As there is no separation between the pilots and passengers, I suppose they had to be more discreet.

Sounds like they're exaggerating things a bit for a sensational article to me, which is what the media does of course; they don't sell papers or get clicks on their online sites with headlines such as 'no warning lights illuminate on perfectly safe flight'.

Gotta love this classic mixed metaphor which appears in the article too: Failure to admit mistakes in flight test is a cancer that must be nipped at the bud.

Edited September 2, 20214 yr by Chock

Virgin Galactic when able I have a number for you to call for possible pilot deviation .....😮😬

Even as a space program afficionado since childhood, I do have to question what purpose is being served by what amounts to a $450,000 carnival ride.  No exploration is being done, no advancement of science or aerospace causes...just a dangerous ballistic joyride for some uber-wealthy adrenaline junkies. 

The odds are high that an accident will happen, even if no corners are being cut w/r/t safety, because accelerating and decelerating humans to/from massive kinetic energy levels into the near vacuum of inner space is inherently dangerous.   When the first one does come apart, depositing billionaire body parts across the landscape of a couple of states with a bold signature written in a flaming streak across the sky, the wailing will positively fill the airwaves.  And then real space exploration will take an unneeded hit, sensationalized and milked for all the clicks it's worth by those of the same ilk that published this New Yawker Magazine article.

So suffice it to say I'm not much a fan of these hi-tech circus acts.

It's fairly likely that one of these joyride flights will go wrong at some point; unfortunately it is just what happens with flying machines from time to time as we know, and it would be as well for anyone who is going to take a ride on one of these things to be aware that this is a possibility when they sign up for going in one of them.

I can remember when I first went to an open night at a flying club many years ago after I'd just learned to fly, and the guy doing the presentation was honest enough to say: 'I'd be lying if I didn't say that sometimes people do get killed doing this sort of thing.' It was pretty sobering to hear him come right out and say that, even though we all know this is a possibility, but I appreciated his honesty and it didn't stop me from joining that flying club. Sure enough, he was right; a few years after that evening when he said that, three people who I knew at that club - including one of his relatives - were indeed killed when the two aeroplanes they were in collided over the Peak District in Derbyshire.

You can't go blasting off into the skies at Mach 2 and imagine that doing so is ever going to be as safe as more serene pastimes such as playing bowls, fishing or some such. If you want that astronaut patch and the cool factor which goes with it, you have to be aware that part of the kudos is that you took the risk. 

Personally, I'd only want to go on one of those things if it was me who got to drive it.

Edited September 3, 20214 yr by Chock

7 hours ago, w6kd said:

Even as a space program afficionado since childhood, I do have to question what purpose is being served by what amounts to a $450,000 carnival ride.  No exploration is being done, no advancement of science or aerospace causes...just a dangerous ballistic joyride for some uber-wealthy adrenaline junkies. 

 

Well that's the narrative constructed by certain political entities and also propagated by the media. In reality what appear to be "joyrides" do serve a very important purpose. They make money for the companies more laudable endeavors.

Virgin, for example, don't just do joyrides. They are actually operating a very promising satalite launch system, so in essence, wealthy people and their joyrides are helping to fund such endeavors. In addition, the Virgin Galactic vehicle will indeed be used for scientific research.

The other point of course is that the joyrides are helping to develop the technology required to reach suborbital altitudes and orbital altitudes more effectively.

Same applies to Blue Origin. We may or may not agree with Bezo's lofty objectives but the primary goal of Blue Origin is to work towards getting heavy industry off planet to return the Earth to a pristine state. Wealthy joyriders help to fund the company and ultimately that goal. And of course New Shepard may be providing joyrides but that's just the first development vehicle on the road to New Glen.

I should add too, that we may be subjecting spaceflight to a differant standard than we apply to other endeavors. All of us have taken joyrides in cars, trips for fun and recreation in aircraft and many have taken long cruises in cruiseliners purely for the experience.