Re-Entry from Space: The Experience of Gliding Back Home at ISPCS 2011

 

Presentations and Videos:
Scott Ostrem, Chief Engineer at The Spaceship Company (pdf)      (video)
Steve Lindsey, Director, Flight Operations, Sierra Nevada Space Systems (pdf)
Bob Carlton, Vice President/Test Pilot/Aircraft Design, Desert Aerospace, LLC (pdf)   (video 1)   (video 2)   (video 3)

 

Audience questions:

  • Steve – Were Brian’s landings as good as Discovery’s last landing?
  • The pilots – How do you think a minimally trained civilian tourist will handle the G forces and supersonic speeds of reentry?
  • Gliding flight is built into orbital and suborbital fight.  How would you recommend the revenue passengers prepare themselves for the weightless portion so that they can best use the gliding portion to sort out their emotions and reactions after all there is no replay button!
  • Steve – No vertical stabilizer on BOR-4 or HL-20 modern trend in high performance is away from a tail.  How necessary is it on our aircraft, what advantage?
  • Steve Lindsay – Can you describe the experience of the “Space tourists” who will be on the first space flight when they will “Going up” “Zero Gravity” “Going down”
  • Astronauts on Panel – How does panel feel about Virgin calling their tourists Astronauts? Are they really?
  • Will any of the commercial space vehicles feature autonomous landing capability if not, why not?
  • Scott Ostrem –Can you tell us anything about the recent SS2 drop test where it pitched nose down?
  • What is plan “B” if something happened in that flight?
  • Scott Ostrem – are Astronauts allowed to bring their own photo camera and take pictures? Problems in Zero –G?
  • How fast can dream chaser be ready for the next flight after landing?
  • Steve – Are you going to contract with the other Sierra Nevada to make a special beer?