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Virgin Galactic: Flights 'still a few years away'

Neil Barnes

Sputnik actually did reach Earth orbit... 

Posted Thursday 11th October 2007 10:00 GMT

Coat

Ah, but you've only got their word for it, right? I mean, how hard can it have been to have faked some scratchy beep beep beep recordings?

It's a conspiracy, I tell you... next thing, they'll be claiming to have landed on the moon!

Anonymous Coward

The Knights of Incredulity 

Posted Thursday 11th October 2007 10:00 GMT

Dead Vulture

"Norman Foster" surely you mean Sir Norman Foster!

Please get your coat, report to the tower for a few hours of mild flogging then drink yourself to the worlds worst hangover as punishment.

JonB

Mmmmmmmmoller 

Posted Thursday 11th October 2007 10:33 GMT

A whiff of sky car about it?

Can you really lug 100 super rich types into space for only 20 million dollars and turn a profit?

Would anyone do it twice?

The Mighty Biff

Duty Free 

Posted Thursday 11th October 2007 10:51 GMT

Coat

They'll make their money on the duty free sales. And Space Beer.

Misha Gale

Re: Sputnik actually did reach Earth orbit... 

Posted Thursday 11th October 2007 11:50 GMT

Joke

Well, it was visible from the earths surface, although it could just have been a visiting alien spacecraft which the sneaky russkies took advantage of and *claimed* it was their satellite.

Jonathan Richards

@Neil Barnes 

Posted Thursday 11th October 2007 11:50 GMT

One didn't need to take the Russian's word for the fact of Sputnik's launch into orbit. With a decent pair of binoculars, Sputnik was visible just before sunrise and just after sunset as it made its orbits. Jodrell Bank confirmed it to everybody's satisfaction!

andy gibson

@Johnathan Richards 

Posted Thursday 11th October 2007 12:26 GMT

Jodrell Bank. Would this be the same Jodrell Bank who when I asked them a few years ago whether the telescope could be used in the SETI project, scoffed and said it wasn't capable. And shortly after was announced that it WOULD be used.

JonB

Sputnik visibility 

Posted Thursday 11th October 2007 12:44 GMT

Wasn't it just the final booster stages that was visible, theoretically orbiting a short distance behind the spud itself?

The spud being way too small to be seen with bins, they actually polished up the final stage rocket to improve visibility..