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This article or section documents a scheduled or expected spaceflight. Details may change as the launch date approaches or more information becomes available. |
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Design
White Knight Two will be roughly three times larger than White Knight, in order to perform a captive carry with the larger SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. The WK2 will be similar in wingspan to a B29 bomber,[1] and will be by far the largest aircraft constructed by Scaled Composites.[2] WK2 will be an aerobatic airplane, and will provide preview flights offering several seconds of weightlessness, before the actual suborbital event. It will have a service ceiling of about 60,000 ft or 18km, offering a dark blue sky to passengers. This would allow tourists to practice before the real flight.[3] White Knight Two will have a twin boom with two jet engines per hull.[4] One hull will be an exact replica of that of SpaceShipTwo (to allow tourist training), and the other will carry cut-rate day-trippers into the stratosphere.[5]
Commercial introduction
The White Knight Two design is expected to be revealed on January 23, 2008. Construction of the first aircraft is due to complete in June 2008 with the first test flight in July 2008.[6]
Aircraft specifications
General characteristics
- Payload: 30,500 kg (30 tons)
- Length: ()
- Wingspan: 43 m (141 ft)
- Height: ()
- Powerplant: 4× Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308 turbofan
Performance
- Service ceiling 18 km (60,000 ft)
References
- ^ Something dangerous and new. thespacereview.com (August 28 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
- ^ SS2, White Knight 2 to use common fuselage. flightglobal (March 7 2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Leonard David (11 August 2006). Burt Rutan on Civilian Spaceflight, Breakthroughs, and Inside SpaceShipTwo. Space.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Kenny Kemp (March 2007). Destination Space. Virgin Books.
- ^ Spencer Reiss (May 22, 2007). Burt Rutan and Richard Branson Want You to Hit Space in High Style. Wired.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Rob Coppinger (December 7, 2007). Virgin Galactic sets out Year of the Spaceship. Flight International. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
- ^ Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308 Engine to Power Virgin Galactic's Suborbital Spaceship Launcher. Pratt & Whitney Canada (11 July 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Will Whitehorn and Alex Tai (22 July 2007). Virgin Galactic presentation Oshkosh Theater in the Woods 2007. BrightCove.TV. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- Payload: 30,500 kg (30 tons)
- Length: ()
- Wingspan: 43 m (141 ft)
- Height: ()
- Powerplant: 4× Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308 turbofan
Performance
- Service ceiling 18 km (60,000 ft)
References
- ^ Something dangerous and new. thespacereview.com (August 28 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
- ^ SS2, White Knight 2 to use common fuselage. flightglobal (March 7 2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Leonard David (11 August 2006). Burt Rutan on Civilian Spaceflight, Breakthroughs, and Inside SpaceShipTwo. Space.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Kenny Kemp (March 2007). Destination Space. Virgin Books.
- ^ Spencer Reiss (May 22, 2007). Burt Rutan and Richard Branson Want You to Hit Space in High Style. Wired.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Rob Coppinger (December 7, 2007). Virgin Galactic sets out Year of the Spaceship. Flight International. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
- ^ Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308 Engine to Power Virgin Galactic's Suborbital Spaceship Launcher. Pratt & Whitney Canada (11 July 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Will Whitehorn and Alex Tai (22 July 2007). Virgin Galactic presentation Oshkosh Theater in the Woods 2007. BrightCove.TV. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- Service ceiling 18 km (60,000 ft)
References
- ^ Something dangerous and new. thespacereview.com (August 28 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
- ^ SS2, White Knight 2 to use common fuselage. flightglobal (March 7 2006). Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Leonard David (11 August 2006). Burt Rutan on Civilian Spaceflight, Breakthroughs, and Inside SpaceShipTwo. Space.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Kenny Kemp (March 2007). Destination Space. Virgin Books.
- ^ Spencer Reiss (May 22, 2007). Burt Rutan and Richard Branson Want You to Hit Space in High Style. Wired.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Rob Coppinger (December 7, 2007). Virgin Galactic sets out Year of the Spaceship. Flight International. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
- ^ Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308 Engine to Power Virgin Galactic's Suborbital Spaceship Launcher. Pratt & Whitney Canada (11 July 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
- ^ Will Whitehorn and Alex Tai (22 July 2007). Virgin Galactic presentation Oshkosh Theater in the Woods 2007. BrightCove.TV. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
The Spaceship Company | ||
|---|---|---|
| Companies | Virgin Galactic (Virgin Group) · Scaled Composites (Northrop Grumman) · Mojave Aerospace Ventures |  |
| People | Richard Branson · Burt Rutan · Paul Allen · Mike Melvill · Brian Binnie | |
| Ships | SpaceShipOne · White Knight · SpaceShipTwo · White Knight Two · SpaceShipThree | |
| Sequence | Tier One ( 11P · 13P · 14P · 15P · 16P · 17P ) · Tier 1b · Tier Two | |
| Places | Mojave Spaceport · Spaceport America · Spaceport Sweden | |
| See also... | Ansari X Prize · Kármán line · Other companies · Space tourism · Sub-orbital spaceflight· Suborbital spaceplane | |
