January 21, 2014

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Passes Big Test

In the video below, watch as SpaceShipTwo's hybrid rocket motor powers the spacecraft to a top speed of Mach 1.4, or 1.4 times the speed of sound.

bigthinkeditor

The third powered test flight of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo was completed under the guidance of Chief Pilot Dave Mackay earlier this month.

In the video below, watch as SpaceShipTwo’s hybrid rocket motor powers the spacecraft to a top speed of Mach 1.4, or 1.4 times the speed of sound. While SpaceShipTwo is on target for a launch this year, no specific date has been set yet for its maiden voyage, which will carry passengers such as Ashton Kutcher into suborbital space.

Watch here:

Content not available

xjkdfhvlfx

f.xbnlxf

Collage of classical art suggesting a theme related to somatic markers.

Business

How “somatic markers” can transform your decision-making

Ditch the old brain vs. heart assumptions, and instead think about a heart-led brain.

A black and white image of a bunch of spheres, symbolizing the multiverse concept discussed by scientists.

Starts With A Bang

How logic and reasoning can fail as scientific tools

In logic, 'reductio ad absurdum' shows how flawed arguments fall apart. Our absurd Universe, however, often defies our intuitive reasoning.

A wooden sign indicating "assisted migration rep 2" in a pine forest under a clear blue sky.

Life

Moving trees north to save the forests

As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.

Historical map illustration depicting a planned city layout with a circular central area and radiating streets.

Strange Maps

Ohio’s Circleville ditched the grid system. Then it got squared.

A small Ohio town tried to escape America’s addiction to rectangular grids. It didn’t last long.

Bullet Cluster separation mass gravity x-ray lensing

Starts With A Bang

Flagship NASA space telescope faces a penny-pinching death

NASA's only flagship X-ray telescope ever, Chandra, still works and has no planned successor. So why does the President want to kill it?

Up Next

Human: The Most Dangerous Animal

A message from the "Interstellar Safety Council" warns other life forms not to visit Earth, a planet that is governed by "the survival of the fittest."