The Virgin Galactic crash happened due to the shuttles air braking system deploying too early. Just after the rocket detached from the mothership, for some reason the air brakes deployed while the aircraft was traveling mach 1.2. This caused it to violently break apart 50,000 feet above the ground. The pilot who survived was thrown from the wreckage but did not have an ejection system and could not explain how he was able to get away from the aircraft.
Virgin Galactic was the idea of Richard Branson. He started the company Virgin. Virgin Galactic was one of the first attempts to market and commercialize space travel. It was originally launched in 2008 with the hope of being ready by 2010 but was delayed several times. Space travel in general is a completely new and untouched way of transport. Several companies are looking into it but so far no one has been able to implement it.
The FAA has rules and regulations regarding space travel all the way from commercial operation to amateur rocket launching. They fall under 14 CFR and consist of licensing, procedures and general rules. In light of the recent crash, you can almost be sure that there will be a new set of rules coming to address what happened in order to prevent this from happening again.
I believe that commercial flights will eventually happen one day but it will take much longer than any of us anticipate, and especially since this crash happened. At first the tickets will be outrageously expensive but as more operators are permitted, competition will increase and prices will come down. As far as being accessible to the flying public, I'm not convinced this will be priced to where the average traveler can afford a ticket. If anything, I believe the major airlines will end up buying these space operations or starting their own and will offer them as the new first class tickets to high paying customers.
To qualify to be NASA astronaut pilot, you need a bachelors degree in engineering, bio science, physical science, or mathematics. You also need 1000 hours jet PIC time. You need to pass a NASA physical which is similar to the military's. On top of this you need to have vision correctable to 20/20. I could not find any information on pilots in the space tourism industry but whatever they would have been, they will be changed due to this crash. It will take some time to finalize the rules on pilot qualifications for space commercial operations.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_Astronaut_Requirements.html
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/regulations/
I think your right that the commercial airlines will start offering space travel. After we get it figured out there will be a lot of companies getting into the business only to be consolidated and absorbed into the major airlines. Eventually ticket prices will be affordable to the average traveler.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very interesting take on what the future might hold for commercial space travel. Currently it is a little weird to think of booking a first class ticket on Delta for space travel although it might cut down the commute time from one side of the world to the other! Hopefully this is something that might happen in our lifetime...
ReplyDeleteTicket pricing for space flight would indeed be expensive, but what would the point be? Apart from the ability to say you've flown in space, what would be the purpose of the space flight be if there was no benefit over commercial aviation.
ReplyDeleteYes, interesting prediction that the airlines may get involved in this sector of the industry.
ReplyDelete