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The Raelian Movement
for those who are not afraid of the future : http://www.rael.org
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Richard Branson hails successful virgin mission for tourism rocket SpaceShipTwo over Mojave Desert
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:46 AM on 12th October 2010
- Six-passenger aircraft glides smoothly to Earth after disconnection from mothership at 45,000ft
- Virgin Galactic boss delighted with 25-minute 'flight'
Virgin Galactic's space tourism rocket SpaceShipTwo achieved its first solo glide flight yesterday, marking another step in the company's eventual plans to fly paying passengers.
SpaceShipTwo was carried aloft by its mothership to an altitude of 45,000ft and released over the Mojave Desert.
After the separation, SpaceShipTwo, manned by two pilots, flew freely for 11 minutes before landing at an airport runway followed by the mothership.
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First solo glide flight: Virgin Galactic's space tourism rocket SpaceShipTwo was released over the Mojave Desert in California yesterday
Success: Manned by two pilots, the craft flew freely for 11 minutes before landing at an airport runway followed by the mothership
The entire test flight lasted about 25 minutes.
'It flew beautifully,' said Virgin Galactic chief executive George Whitesides.
The six-passenger SpaceShipTwo is undergoing rigorous testing before it can carry tourists to space. In the latest test, SpaceShipTwo did not fire its rocket engine to climb to space.
Until now, SpaceShipTwo has flown attached to the wing of its special jet-powered mothership dubbed WhiteKnightTwo. Sunday was the first time the spaceship flew on its own.
Virgin president Sir Richard Branson said: 'It's a very big deal. There are a number of big deals on the way to getting commercial space travel becoming a reality. This was a very big step.
'We now know that the spaceship glides. We know it can be dropped safely from the mothership and we know it can land safely. That's three big ticks.'
Moment of truth: SpaceShipTwo detaches from the wing of its special jet-powered mothership, dubbed WhiteKnightTwo
SpaceShipTwo will make a series of additional glide flights before rocketing to space.
Sir Richard added: 'The next big step will be the rocket tests actually on the spacecraft itself.
'We've obviously have done thousands of rocket tests on the ground, the next big test is in the air. We'll be doing gentle rocket tests in the air, ultimately culminating into taking the spaceship into space.'
SpaceShipTwo, built by famed aircraft designer Burt Rutan, is based on a prototype that won a $10million (£6.3million) prize in 2004 for being the first manned private rocket to reach space.
High-flier: The six-passenger SpaceShipTwo is undergoing rigorous testing before it can carry tourists to space. In the latest test, SpaceShipTwo did not fire its rocket engine to climb to space
Tickets to ride aboard SpaceShipTwo cost $200,000 (£125,000). Some 370 customers have plunked down deposits totaling $50million (£31.3million), according to Virgin Galactic.
Commercial flights will fly out of New Mexico where a spaceport is under construction.
Officials from Virgin Galactic and other dignitaries will gather at the spaceport on October 22 for an event commemorating the finished runway. The event will also feature a flyover by SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo.
Pleased: Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson described the test flight as 'a very big deal'
Mass appeal? An artist's conception of SpaceShipTwo during a sub-orbital flight
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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1319464/Virgin-Galactic-tourism-rocket-SpaceShipTwo-embarks-solo-glide-flight.html#ixzz12F6rtySw
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WARNING FROM RAEL: For those who don't use their intelligence at its full
capacity, the label "selected by RAEL" on some articles does not mean that I
agree with their content or support it. "Selected by RAEL" means that I believe
it is important for the people of this planet to know about what people think or
do, even when what they think or do is completely stupid and against our
philosophy. When I selected articles in the past about stupid Christian
fundamentalists in America praying for rain, I am sure no Rael-Science reader
was stupid enough to believe that I was supporting praying to change the
weather. So, when I select articles which are in favor of drugs, anti-semitic,
anti-Jewish, racist, revisionist, or inciting hatred against any group or
religion, or any other stupid article, it does not mean that I support them. It
just means that it is important for all human beings to know about them. Common
sense, which is usually very good among our readers, is good enough to
understand that. When, like in the recent articles on drug decriminalization, it
is necessary to make it clearer, I add a comment, which in this case was very
clear: I support decriminalizing all drugs, as it is stupid to throw depressed
and sad people (as only depressed and sad people use drugs) in prison and ruin
their life with a criminal record. That does not mean that there is any change
to the Message which says clearly that we must not use any drug except for
medical purposes. The same applies to the freedom of expression which must be
absolute. That does not mean again of course that I agree with anti-Jews,
antisemites, racists of any kind or anti-Raelians. But by knowing your enemies
or the enemies of your values, you are better equipped to fight them. With love
and respect of course, and with the wonderful sentence of the French philosopher
Voltaire in mind: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death
your right to say it".
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"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.
There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history,
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.
On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.
Rael
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