Virgin Galactic: Space could finally be getting closer

[Chancer]

"Soon" is the watchword. Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides says his passenger rocket plane should get into sub-orbital space within the next few months. Finally.

It's been a long road for the project, but you get the sense now that the light really could be starting to grow at the end of the tunnel.

Whitesides, who's always preferred to talk about "milestones" rather than "schedules", mentions the end of the year for a possible first powered flight to space.

A series of "proficiency" outings would then follow before Virgin Group boss Richard Branson inaugurates a service for which 700 people have so far paid substantial deposits.

It's 10 years since SpaceShipOne made history by becoming the first privately funded vehicle to make two trips above the Earth's atmosphere inside a week.

Back then, many of us thought a new era of commercial space travel would quickly be upon us.

In 2004, at a London media conference, Sir Richard famously brandished a model of his future spaceliner above his head and promised initial operations in 2007.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29525156

[humble3d]

I must wonder if Radiation will penetrate the ships ??