It is indeed a giant leap for Richard Branson with the launch of Launcher One. With the Launcher One, which is actually a launch vehicle, Virgin Galgatic hopes to enable the deployment of cheaper satellites into the space. The unveiling of the Launcher One will come as a respite to many research based organisation for no they can think of conduction space based research with the help of this launcher. This will be counted a great contribution by Richard Branson and the Virgin Galgatic for space research will sure receive a huge amount of impetus with this launch.
Richard Branson has made the very idea of space travel a success. He did promise many that he would take them to the moon and since then he has been working on it non stop. It was his dream to make travelling beyond the realms of our blue planet a possibility for many non astronauts. Virgin Galgatic which is looking at a 2013 launch intends to took us all to our first adventure in space. During the course of the journey, passengers will be able to experience zero gravity along with witnessing the curvature of the globe and the darkness of the outer space. If you will happen to board the Virgin Galgatic then you shall do so in style for the space suits have been inspired from the Bond movie Moonraker. You sure will have the James Bond look when you are witnessing some breathtaking sights of our mighty space.
Coming back to the Launcher One, let’s give you more insights into this remarkable development in space research.
Virgin Galgatic’s Launcher One: How does it Work?
The Launcher One launches satellites in space say the Virgin Galgatic and it is product of a collaboration between Richard Branson and Burt Rutan, who together launched the Spaceship Company.The White Knight Two, Virgin’s aircraft carries underneath it a rocket. Once it is space bound to upto 50,000 feet, the rocket is released and it drops for four seconds. In the first stage it ignites and in the second stage once it is burned out, the satellite is off to the orbit.
Now you would wonder with the presence of some very sophisticated launchers, some of them created by NASA why we would require an airplane to launch a satellite. The thing is that launching a satellite from an airplane does have many benefits. Using a specialised launcher like Wallops in Kennedy can cause several delays and is bound by many restrictions. Launching through an airplane will help us overcome all these obstacles. Also, the plane can take off from any runway and to any different country and all that at a short notice. The aircraft it is said can be pointed to any direction thus making many orbits available regardless of which direction the satellite has been launched. The Launcher One is relatively cheaper than other launching vehicles and can carry upto 500 pounds.
Launcher One: Some more Info
Many customers are all set to launch with the Launcher One and they include Planetary Resources, Skybox Imaging, GeoOptics and SpaceFlight Inc. special designs for the Luancher One have been created by the Sierra Nevada Space System and Surrey Satellite technology. An Abu Dhabi based investment firm called, Aabar Investment, has funded much of the latest development.The commercial launching will begin sometime in 2016.
Via Arstechina
