I was very sorry to hear of this. I can’t imagine the circumstances in which I’d want to take a suborbital flight (Mars or nothing for me) but I hope they build a new one, sort out the bugs, and keep flying. In the meanwhile my sympathies to the family of the dead pilot, and hoping for a good recovery for the one who survived.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/oct/31/spaceshiptwo-richard-branson-virgin-crash-mojave
I can’t imagine the circumstances in which I’d want to take a suborbital flight (Mars or nothing for me)
I disagree. This thing is purely a question of money. There are lots of people around the world for which the ticked for this flight is pocket money. If I had that kind of money I wouldn’t think twice about doing this, it must be an experience like nothing else. When (if) this thing is up and running on a regular basis, it will create an industry that eventually may allow orbital flights, although that step is huge. In the meantime this is the only way ordinary people will have a chance to get a small taste of space.
Actually it is not the only way, at least if you are young and got some imagination. There was a “rocket addicted” kid here (16) who sent up a go-pro camera in a balloon this summer and took the most amazing videos of the earth from 34 km. Video below the picture.
