Jump to content

Scaled Composites White Knight Two

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 70.55.86.160 (talk) at 14:27, 27 January 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Template:Future product

File:White Knight 2 Jan 2008.jpg
Conceptual image of White Knight Two carrying SpaceShipTwo

Scaled Composites' White Knight Two is the first stage of Tier 1b, a two-stage to suborbital-space manned launch system. It is coupled with SpaceShipTwo to form the full launch package. WK2 is based on the successful mothership to SpaceShipOne, which itself is based on Proteus.

The first WK2 will be called Eve in honor of Richard Branson's mother. [1] Virgin Galactic has two WK2's on order. [2] Together WK2 and SS2 form the basis for Virgin Galactic's fleet of suborbital spaceplanes.

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,[3] and will be by far the largest aircraft constructed by Scaled Composites.[4]

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.[5]

White Knight Two will have a twin boom with two jet engines per hull.[6] 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.[7]

Commercial introduction

The White Knight Two design was 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.[8]

The launch customer of White Knight Two is Virgin Galactic, which will have the first two units, and exclusive rights to the craft for the first few years.

Aircraft specifications

Data from [9] [10]

General characteristics

Performance

References

  1. ^ "Spaceship Company unveils design of SpaceShipTwo". newsfromrussia.com. 23.01.2008. Retrieved 2008-01-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Pravda
  2. ^ "Virgin Galactic Unveils Suborbital Spaceliner Design". news.yahoo.com. 23.01.2008. Retrieved 2008-01-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Tariq Malik SPACE.com
  3. ^ "Something dangerous and new". thespacereview.com. August 28 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "SS2, White Knight 2 to use common fuselage". flightglobal. March 7 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Leonard David (11 August 2006). "Burt Rutan on Civilian Spaceflight, Breakthroughs, and Inside SpaceShipTwo". Space.com. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  6. ^ Kenny Kemp (March 2007). Destination Space. Virgin Books.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  7. ^ Spencer Reiss (May 22, 2007). "Burt Rutan and Richard Branson Want You to Hit Space in High Style". Wired.com. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  8. ^ Rob Coppinger (December 7, 2007). "Virgin Galactic sets out Year of the Spaceship". Flight International. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  9. ^ "Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308 Engine to Power Virgin Galactic's Suborbital Spaceship Launcher". Pratt & Whitney Canada. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
  10. ^ Will Whitehorn and Alex Tai (22 July 2007). "Virgin Galactic presentation Oshkosh Theater in the Woods 2007". BrightCove.TV. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scaled_Composites_White_Knight_Two&oldid=187254235"