From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos   
   From Address: not@chance.dude   
   Subject: Re: Virgin Galactic's First Commercial Spaceship Named "V.S.S.   
   Enterprise"   
      
   Steven L. wrote:   
   > SpaceShipTwo Christened VSS Enterprise   
   >    
   >     * By Jason Paur Email Author   
   >     * December 7, 2009  |   
   >     * 11:11 pm   
   >    
   > On a cold and windy night at the Mojave Air and Space Port, the VSS    
   > Enterprise was unveiled to the public tonight. Attached to its mother    
   > ship, the vehicle better known as SpaceShipTwo is expected to be the    
   > first commercial spacecraft when it enters service with Virgin Galactic.   
   >    
   > SpaceShipTwo was built by Scaled Composites under the guidance of    
   > legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan. The carbon composite spacecraft    
   > uses the same fuselage as its mother ship, VMS Eve. After a year of    
   > rigorous testing VMS Eve completed flight testing earlier this fall.    
   > Rutan didnAt specify when flight testing for SpaceShipTwo would begin,    
   > though it is expected to start early next year.   
   >    
   > Sub-orbital passenger flights could start as early as 2011 from Virgin    
   > GalacticAs space port in New Mexico that is currently under    
   > construction. Tickets for the early adopters are $200,000 for the three    
   > day training program and the ride into space. Both Rutan and Virgin    
   > Galactic founder, Sir Richard Branson have repeatedly said they expect    
   > the prices to drop rapidly similar to many new technologies, including    
   > the early days of air travel.   
   >    
   > Once flight testing is complete, production will begin on a fleet space    
   > craft like SpaceShipTwo in order to meet the expected demand for rides    
   > into space. Rutan and Branson have partnered in a company simply known    
   > as aThe Spaceship Company.A The joint venture will produce both the    
   > WhiteKnightTwo mother ships and the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. Rutan says    
   > he expects that 40-50 spaceships will be needed in order to satisfy the    
   > market. BransonAs Virgin Galactic has the exclusive use of the launch    
   > system for the first 18 months of operation.   
   >    
   > Rutan said tonightAs unveiling is the culmination of many years of    
   > thinking, designing and working on making space travel more accessible    
   > to more people outside the ranks of government space programs.   
   > oAll of us at Scaled are tremendously excited by the capabilities of    
   > both the mothership and SS2. Today is the culmination of a dream that    
   > began many decades ago, was stimulated by Paul AllenAs funding of our    
   > X-Prize winning SS1 and then moved forward to commercial reality by Sir    
   > Richard and VirginAs visionary investment in a new future for space    
   > transportationo.   
   >    
   > Branson said seeing SpaceShipTwo for the first time is very exciting and    
   > he is now looking forward to the next steps towards commercial space    
   > flights.   
   >    
   > oThe unveil of SS2 takes the Virgin Galactic vision to the next level    
   > and continues to provide tangible evidence that this ambitious project    
   > is not only moving rapidly, but also making tremendous progress towards    
   > our goal of safe commercial operation.o   
   >    
   > http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/12/spaceshiptwo-christened-a   
   -vss-enterprise/    
   >    
   >    
   People with too much money and not enough brains really bother me.   
      
   Natalie   
   --    
   "Wicked little doll, you have no soul"   
   (David Byrne, 1997)   
   http://www.supernaturalusa.net   
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