Virgin Galactic to conduct first powered spaceship tests in 3 years

Posted on 05/07/2017 by Engadget RSS Feed

Virgin Galactic is determined to put its private space travel plans back on track following its tragic 2014 crash. Richard Branson tells Bloomberg that the company is about to resume powered test flights for the first time in close to 3 years, endin...

Virgin Galactic forms new company for low-cost smallsat launches

Posted on 03/03/2017 by Engadget RSS Feed

Richard Branson's Virgin Group now has three private space companies. The newest addition is called Virgin Orbit, and it will focus on low-cost small satellite launches based on the company's LauncherOne system. If you'll recall, LauncherOne uses a t...

Virgin Galactic unveils the new SpaceShip Two, named the VSS Unity

Posted on 19/02/2016 by Nathan Ingraham

There hasn't been a lot of news out of Richard Branson's commercial space flight company Virgin Galactic since the company's SpaceShip Two broke apart during an October 2014 test flight, killing one of the two crew members. However, today the company...

The Engadget Interview: Sir Richard Branson on Virgin Galactic and space tourism for the everyman

Posted on 02/05/2013 by Michael Gorman

It's been a particularly good week for Sir Richard Branson. SpaceShipTwo, Virgin Galactic's sub-orbital peoplecarrier broke the sound barrier for the first time, and Virgin America began service into San Jose, California. Sir Richard was in town to welcome VA's first San Jose arrival, and we jumped at the chance to chat with him, even if only for a few minutes.

Our conversation revolved around Virgin Galactic's latest milestone on its journey towards ferrying the masses to the stars. Naturally, we wanted to know his plan to make space travel affordable for us non-billionaires, as the current cost of a Virgin Galactic ticket is a cool ~~$200K~~ quarter million dollars. His solution? A combination of more spacecraft, more spaceports and the most prolific satellite delivery service in history.

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Virgin Mobile USA opening flagship Chicago store, selling ‘culture’ on top of phones

Posted on 19/07/2012 by Steve Dent

Virgin Mobile USA is adding actual bricks and mortar to its primary selling channels -- the internet and box stores -- but said that a new flagship Chicago store will not just be about the phones. The location has been set up like a casual, music-themed lounge, where customers can recline while testing devices and salespeople will run workshops on subjects like apps and how to install them. The Sprint-owned company will add 14 more locations in the city by summer's end and hopes to use the launch as an archetype for key stores in its other major market cities. The concept sounds a bit like a certain other starkly designed iChain -- but the rock 'n' roll decor is pure Branson.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs

Virgin Mobile USA opening flagship Chicago store, selling 'culture' on top of phones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 09:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Richard Branson confirms Virgin Galactic’s first space tourism flight will launch next year with him on board

Posted on 15/07/2012 by Donald Melanson

Richard Branson has long said that he'd be on board Virgin Galactic's first commercial space tourism flight, and he's now confirmed that will take place sometime next year with his two adult children along for the ride (a bit of a delay from the company's original 2011 target). That trip will of course be made with the company's SpaceShipTwo craft, which has already completed a number of test flights, and which is capable of flying 100 kilometers (or just over 60 miles) above the Earth for a planned two and a half hour flight with five minutes of weightlessness. As the AP notes, some 529 people have already signed up for the $200,000 per person rides into space, each of whom will have to take part in a week of training prior to their trip. Bookings can still be made on Virgin Galactic's website.

Filed under: Transportation

Richard Branson confirms Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight will launch next year with him on board originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 16:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Galactic unveils LauncherOne satellite vehicle

Posted on 11/07/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

Building a satellite, that's not really much of a problem anymore. Getting them launched, well, that's what separates the big boys from the wannabes. Virgin's Richard Branson believes he has the answer to that -- LauncherOne. The delivery system for Earth orbiters is based around the WhiteKnightTwo, the same launch platform used by SpaceShipTwo to reach its sub-orbital heights. The tube-like rocket of the LauncherOne is carried up to 50,000 feet by its mother ship, before detaching and initiating its two-stage rocket engines. The current design is capable of delivering 500-pound payloads into Low Earth Orbit, while lighter satellites of 225 pounds could reach Sun-Synchronous Low Earth Orbit. Virgin Galactic says it has already signed up its first customers, including SkyBox Imaging and GeoOptics. Sadly, there's no word on when or how much it'll cost to get the spy satellite you built in your backyard placed in the heavens. Check out the video and the PR after the break.

Update: We now know another of Virgin Galactic's customers. Asteroid mining startup Planetary Resources has announced that it will "launch several constellations of Arkyd-100 Series spacecraft in the coming years aboard LauncherOne."

Continue reading Virgin Galactic unveils LauncherOne satellite vehicle

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Virgin Galactic unveils LauncherOne satellite vehicle originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FAA grants Virgin Galactic permit for powered tests, becomes Sir Richard’s BFF

Posted on 31/05/2012 by Anthony Verrecchio

Virgin Galactic is one step closer to relieving WhiteKnightTwo of its babysitting gig. The FAA has given the Branson bunch permission to switch on SpaceShipTwo's rocket-powered motors mid-flight. The upcoming trials could open up the doors to getting at least 500 ~~lucky people~~ total ballers out of the Mojave Desert and into the weightless environment of suborbital space. Current regulations call for more testing than back in 2004 when SpaceShipOne first achieved manned spaceflight, but they're worthwhile if past problems are prevented. What do you think will come first: frequent space-flyer miles, or Virgin Pure T6s and T7s in every home?

FAA grants Virgin Galactic permit for powered tests, becomes Sir Richard's BFF originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 May 2012 19:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Phys.org | source

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Virgin Pure water purifiers launch offensive against tap and bottled water in the UK

Posted on 31/05/2012 by Anthony Verrecchio

English entrepreneur and chairman of The Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson thinks that your tap water is dirty. So much so, in fact, that he's partnered up with Strauss Water to get one of his new purifiers into your home and onto your countertop. The colorful Virgin Pure T6 (£299, $466) can dispense 1.3 liters of chilled H2O per minute, or 1.4 liters of hot water that's stored internally. The T7 (£379, or $591) delivers a bit more swagger to your crib with its minimalist, tapered design that offers 50 percent faster cold water flow. It even gets a small power bump to heat your hot water more quickly than its less-expensive sibling. It all sounds well and good, but we'll really be impressed when Virgin crams one of these into its seatbacks in first class.

Virgin Pure water purifiers launch offensive against tap and bottled water in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 23:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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April Fools’ Day roundup: the big toys, the small toys and the cats

Posted on 01/04/2012 by Richard Lai

Depending on where you are right now, you're either pretty much done with April Fools' Day (hence our bloated inbox thanks to all you lovely tipsters!) or it's just about to start on your side of the world. In fact, some of this year's submissions already got a head start, including the excellent 8-bit quest mode in Google Maps. Oh, don't worry, there's plenty more from Mountain View and the usual participants this year -- we've rounded up the best of the lot right after the break for your amusement. Keep an eye on this as we will be adding new goodies to the list throughout the day.

[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]

Continue reading April Fools' Day roundup: the big toys, the small toys and the cats

April Fools' Day roundup: the big toys, the small toys and the cats originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.