PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Virgin Galatic Spaceship Two down in the Mojave.
Old 1st Nov 2014, 11:57
  #37 (permalink)  
wiggy
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
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TURIN

Whilst that film is impressive I think Peter is talking about a "pad fall back".

Atlas-Centaur 5 pad fallback 1965 - Sonicbomb.com

Escaping one of those demands a fast decision (?automated) to intitate the abort and then a propulsion/guidance system that can get the spacecraft and occupants away from the fireball far enough fast enough.

50 years down the road from that Atlas-Centaur video it's still the case that any spaceflight, even a sub-orbital hop, using any current technology is sadly always going to be several orders of magnitude more risky than jumping on a commercial flight or using one's executive jet. I suspect everybody here knows that.......

Apologies for any thread drift.

Last edited by wiggy; 1st Nov 2014 at 12:07.
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