Videos: Boeing Goes Public With 7 Pax 'Space Station Taxi'... The CST-100

 I admit that I don't follow modern manned-spacecraft development very closely, and you can tell because I didn't even realize Boeing was developing a 7 seat spacecraft to serve as a low Earth orbit taxi!

 This video released yesterday gives a nice overview of the CST-100 project... and the one I found below shows a capsule drop-test from an Air-Crane where systems like the very critical parachute system and the air bag cushioning system used for terra firma landings were put to the test.

Video screenshot: Boeing CST-100 manned spacecraft capsule recovery drop test

 If I understand the information correctly, these drop tests actually took place in 2012, and they appear to have been very successful. The CST-100 is part of the NASA Commercial Crew Development program which is investing money in various projects from several manufacturers, and it shows that at the very least America is headed the right direction in having some form of successor to the Space Shuttle for getting our people up into space and back. Looks like I need to be paying more attention to what's going on!

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Start 2014 By Going Deep Into The Last Space Shuttle Launch (STS-135 Video)

 Well here we are turning another number over on our way toward the end of time. I hope your new year is off to a good start... or should I say a good launch? As a unique way to fight the gravity of the day, I'm sharing a video I found this morning on youtube that's full of fabulous views of Atlantis on her final flight, STS-135, the Shuttle-era-ending journey into the lesser heavens back in July of 2011. You'll notice that some of the sequences are also from STS-134, Endeavour's last flight.

 If your ADD is stronger than your avgeekery, I expect you'll move on after just a minute or so. What a pity. This video is an hour long and is full of views that'll stir your soul, and most of them are directly related to the final shuttle flight.

If you doubt me, after you watch several of the close-up launch views in slow motion in the first few minutes, hop to the 19:45 mark and watch the slow motion ascension that starts with a view of the top of the main fuel tank. Or the unique launch perspective at 29:08. Or maybe the infrared view at 36:00... or maybe the stunning fused imagery experiment at 39:00. 

 It's a new year... and sometimes one of the best ways to look forward is to take a look back.

Video screenshot of Atlantis at launch on the final Shuttle mission in July 2011

Aerospace 9... Another Avgeek Idea From My Grey Matter

 It's true, I have too many ideas. Seems to be some sort of handicap actually... a steady stream of self-proclaimed great ideas without the resources to make them become reality. It truly drives me crazy. I desperately need a team of highly motivated and ultra sharp worker bees to help me make all this stuff in my head become real. But don't hold your breath on the ever happening, at least not until I make one of them very successful on my own. So I keep trying.

 The graphic above is a teaser for a project I'm gonna try hard to make happen. It's a sliver of the website for the project that I'm working on the design for. And in case you're wondering, my FLY Energy Bar project is still in the works, but I've reached a challenging point dealing with the baked product long-term moisture content and retaining finished product texture quality over a long shelf life. I think I'll get it figured out, it's just that so far, I haven't.

 So, Aerospace 9 is the reinvention of the AirPigz Photo Studio idea that I tried to launch over 2 years ago. My understanding back in 2011 was that I was going to be granted permission for AirPigz to effectively license the use of images I had taken at a particular aviation event, but that permission never came thru. I was even told more than once that it would. But it didn't. Without that permission I was unable to move forward.

 Recently I figured out a way to head off in a different direction to create an even better concept for upscale high-quality avgeek art. I'm not giving details now but you should be able to get an idea if you look closely at the graphic above. I will say this to start the saliva flowing: X-15, SR-71, XB-70 and B-58. There's also one specific hand-built element to the project that stands the chance of generating some real income while also making the operation highly respected. I like both of those possibilities : )

 Aerospace 9: bleeding edge art

CoolPix: The Amazing Days Of The X-15 (Post Flight B-52 Fly-Over)

(click pic for hi-res)  An X-15 after landing in 1961 as the B-52 mothership flies over

 I've been feeding a revived X-15 addiction here the last week or so, and this image from the early days of the program sure drips with 1960's aerospace awesomeness. I've even got a sideline project in the works that includes North American's rocket-powered speedster... the one that spent quite a bit of time at the edge of space while we marched our way toward the Apollo program.

 No details on the sideline project for you now, but this pic hopefully does a great job of stirring up your avgeek juices as we get ready to head into December. Enjoy : )

check out all of the AirPigz CoolPix images

Video: SNC Dream Chaser 'Space Shuttle' Free-Flight Test: Successful, With A Problem

 This just released video shows the first free-flight test of the Sierra Nevada Corporation 'Dream Chaser' spaceplane on Saturday October 26, 2013. While the Dream Chaser will have the capability to carry up to seven crew members, this flight test was carried out with no one onboard using the automated flight control system. The video shows the lifting body space-shuttle-like vehicle being released from the Erikson Air-Crane helicopter and then flying extremely stable and right on glide path thru the short flight (less than one minute) and includes the approach to runway 22L at Edwards Air Force Base.

 What isn't seen in this video is the aftermath of the touchdown when the left landing gear failed to extend. During the flare the right main and nose gear deployed properly but for reasons yet unknown, the left main did not deploy. Some reports indicate that the vehicle sustained significant damage due to loss of control after touchdown.

 While the landing gear issue and subsequent damage to the test vehicle is certainly a setback, the team has much to celebrate with this test. A teleconference scheduled for later today will give insight into the damage to Dream Chaser and how the mishap will affect the program.

 It's interesting to note that it appears that the landing gear on this particular Dream Chaser, known as the engineering test article (ETA) which is not intended for any space flights, is not the same design as will be on the flight test article (FTA). I'm sure we'll here more about these details before long.

www.sncdreamchaser.com

Video screenshot of the Dream Chaser about to land without left main gear extended

Video: Wow, We Were Amazing! Apollo 11 Launch - July 16, 1969 (USA)

 I bought a cool NASA meatball t-shirt at Target last weekend and I was wearing it yesterday evening... gotta say it made me feel special. Seriously. And while I know there are great things done everyday by modern NASA, most of that 'special' feeling came from looking back to our stellar past. Those thoughts are magnified even more since I may be stopping by Wapakoneta Ohio and the Armstrong Air & Space Museum this Saturday while taking my roller-coaster-buddy (niece Madison) to Cedar Point on the season ending weekend.

 I've never been to this little museum located in Neil Armstrong's birth town but my dad (1929-2009) had stopped by a few times and said it was definitely worth checking it out. If I do get to stop by on Saturday I'll get some pix to report back.

 Today's post is about experiencing the launch of the Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket, which of course Neil was the Commander of. The video above does a great job of capturing the massive power generated by the five Rocketdyne F-1 engines in the first stage... 7,648,000 pounds of thrust!

 So take 4 minutes and experience what three Americans did back on July 16, 1969 sitting on top of the most powerful machine ever built by mankind... blasting off for a visit to the moon to put human footsteps there for the very first time. 

 We were amazing.

 
Video screenshot: 7,648,000 pounds of thrust on Apollo 11 launch on July 16,1969

More SpaceShipTwo Video... Cuz It's AWESOME!

So. Much. Wow.

Video screenshot: SpaceShipTwo under rocket power!

Video: Another Supersonic SpaceShipTwo Test - Commercial Flights In 2014!

 AirPigz is all about avgeek diversity, which is why I can go from antique airplanes in the two previous posts to aerospace sub-orbital supersonic testing in the next. My theory has always been that a real love for flight finds the same fascination in both extremes. I hope you agree : )

 Virgin Galactic is moving closer to commercial service, now planning to start sometime in 2014. Get your deposits in asap my friends as there are apparently over 600 passengers booked ahead of you!

 Here's the Virgin Galactic update on yesterday's successful flight:

Company Demonstrates All Technical Mission Phases in Single Flight for the First Time, Confirms On Track to Commence Commercial Service in 2014

September 5, 2013 – MOJAVE, Calif. – Today, Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Abu Dhabi’s aabar InvestmentsPJS, successfully completed the second rocket-powered, supersonic flight of its passenger carrying reusable space vehicle, SpaceShipTwo (SS2). In addition to achieving the highest altitude and greatest speed to date, the test flight demonstrated the vehicle’s full technical mission profile in a single flight for the first time, including a high altitude deployment of the unique wing “feathering” re-entry mechanism. All of the test objectives were successfully completed.

At approximately 8 a.m. local time from the Mojave Air and Space Port, the company’s WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) carrier aircraft took off carrying SS2 to an altitude of 46,000 feet. Virgin Galactic Chief Pilot Dave Mackay was at the WK2 controls, assisted by Scaled Composites (Scaled) co-pilot Mike Alsbury and The Spaceship Company Flight Test Engineer Scott Glaser. Upon release from WK2, SS2 pilots Mark Stucky and Clint Nichols, both of Scaled, ignited the rocket motor for the planned 20-second burn propelling the spaceship to 69,000 feet. During this time, SS2 achieved a maximum speed of Mach 1.43. SS2 landed in Mojave at 9.25 a.m. local time completing the flight test with the pilots reporting a flawless flight.

Chairman of aabar Investments PJS, H.E. Khadem Al Qubaisi, commented: “This flight milestone represents a key step forward for the Virgin Galactic team. The successful completion of all major aspects of the flight mission demonstrates that we are very close to achieving one of Galactic’s key goals: commercialising access to space for the broader public. I would like to congratulate the whole team on their continued success.”

“We couldn’t be more delighted to have another major supersonic milestone under our belts as we move toward a 2014 start of commercial service,” said Virgin Galactic Founder Sir Richard Branson. “It was particularly thrilling to see for the first time today the whole elegant system in action during a single flight, including the remarkable feathering re-entry system. It was this safety feature more than anything else that originally persuaded us that the overall design of the system was uniquely fit for purpose. Everything we have seen today just confirms that view. Congratulations to all involved!”

“Today, we expanded the SpaceShipTwo rocket-powered flight test envelope with a longer burn duration and robust testing of the feather mechanism, supersonic aerodynamics and wing lift structure,” said Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides. “Each powered flight of SpaceShipTwo yields cumulative progress that builds the foundation for safe and exciting commercial space flights.”

Composite screenshot: under rocket power / in feathered descent / in glide flight descent

Video: Virgin Galactic And SpaceShipTwo Supersonic On First Powered Flight Test!

(click pic for hi-res) SpaceShipTwo first powered flight on 4.29.13 (photo: Virgin Galactic)

 Great success was achieved yesterday (April 29, 2013) in Mojave California as Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic flew SpaceShipTwo Enterprise on their first powered flight ever. After release from the mothership at 47,000 feet, the SS2 crew fired the rocket motor for 16 seconds propelling them up to 55,000 feet and Mach 1.2 - supersonic!

 The test flight appears to have been completely successful. Congratulations to all involved in achieving this major milestone!

read the full Virgin Galactic report here 

(click pic for hi-res)  Enterprise during first rocket burn test flight (photo: Virgin Galactic)  

Did You See This Awesome SpaceShipTwo 'Cold Flow' Glide Test Pic? Wow!

(click pic to enlarge)  SpaceShipTwo leaving an oxidizer trail during 4.12.13 glide test

 It's old news now since this Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo glide test took place on April 12, 2013, but this amazing pic showing the first glide test to include letting the nitrous oxidizer flow thru the nozzle is sure worth seeing... whether you've seen it already or not! Just to be clear, this is NOT a powered flight, the trail exiting the nozzle isn't providing thrust. However, the first actual powered flight could be happening ANY day now - some info out there suggests it will be this Monday the 29th.

 I suggest you keep your avgeek (spacegeek?) eyes and ears open for this historic event... it is truly a brave new world!

check out the Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo test summary page