Bezos has all kinds of money, more than Musk, so you would think they would be ahead. Something behind the scenes?
Just proves that money alone does not give results. It takes a talented team of people - inspired to make it work. Musk is more of an inspirational leader than Bezos.
Interesting write up on Titan IV https://thespacereview.com/article/4034/1 SpaceX triple header https://www.space.com/spacex-launch-globalstar-satellite-land-rocket
Those old Titans are about the least civilian space travel related vehicles I can imagine. Titan IV was insanely expensive, plus toxic propellants. I've heard numbers up to 400 mill per launch, more than the shuttle. It led straight to EELV which was another program that didn't quite pan out the way it was meant to. Unless Zephram Cochraine puts Phoenix on top of one.
Yes but didn't Cochrane rip out all the missile guts from the main body to stuff his warp engine and folded nacelles inside, which makes no sense really since where did all the liquid fuel go if there's a warp engine and long nacelles in there?
In the movie it looked like maybe the first stage was working, but then again everyone around the silo opening would have probably been killed and certainly deafened not to mentioned poisoned by the exhaust with that thing rocketing out of the silo
I thought he put it in On top of the first stage, as I did not see the second stage. I suppose there are no plans to buikdba Titan V?
That's what I thought too watching the actual movie and then wondered where the liquid fuel for the main engine was if there's a warp drive shoved in there.
Publius would know more than me. But, Titan program ended with IV. EELV program (Atlas V and Delta IV) were supposed to overcome the Titan program's many problems. It was not entirely successful, in that one regard. The Titan V in the movie looks like a Titan II. The first stage is about 60 feet long, the second stage is 30. Later Titan 2's could have a payload fairing of 25 feet top to bottom. (which may or may not include an upper stage motor). so that shot in ENT opening credits of phoenix seperating from the rocket stage could be a Titan seperating from a second stage. It helps that this is a fantasy rocket sort of based on the real thing. But on the bright side Titan II did launch humans to space ten times, as many crewed launches as Saturn V.
I think the EELV contracts were handed out not long after the movie came out. The first Atlas flew a few years before the last Titan, but Delta IV Heavy was really more of the successor to Titan 4b. Atlas V was almost a clean sheet design. It didn't share much of any commonality with Atlas 2 (or 3 either, but it had a brief record and there was no Atlas 4). Atlas V became a political problem due to the Russian first stage engines, hence Vulcan. Delta IV is just very expensive and as cool as a design as it is (the 5 core super heavy variant I once saw proposed as a moon/mars rocket is amazing) better designs exist now. Delta also sometimes looks like it is exploding as it takes off, due to unburned hydrogen in the atmosphere. Always a shock. but in civilian space travel news, New Shepard did fly yesterday.
Virgin Galactic announced it should fly VSS Unity from Spaceport America sometime between the 19th and 23rd this month.
Clearly all fake, the GENIUSES in the comments section say so :/s BTW sarcasm. Kudos to everyone involved. Love the design of this thing.
VSS Unity had to abort shortly after ignition last week, but the crew and vehicle returned safely to Spaceport New Mexico.
New Shepard may fly with its first crew between April and June. VSS Unity has a flight window opening Feb 13 and lasting through the remainder of the month.