Feathering technology Enabling commercial space travel Presented by David Towers at Grenoble Graduate School of Business

Commercial space travel is a reality! Commercial flights starting in 2009 $200,000 for a 2 hours flight 6 passengers, 2 crew members 500 people in 2009 will travel to space 50,000 in next 10 years

Commercial flights starting in 2009

$200,000 for a 2 hours flight

6 passengers, 2 crew members

500 people in 2009 will travel to space

50,000 in next 10 years

The old and the new North American X-15, 1959 First manned suborbital spacecraft TierOne, 2004 Won $10 million X-Prize for the first privately developed funded reusable manned spacecraft

The flight path Atmospheric re-entry Mothership carries the space ship to 15 km The new technology: Feathering of the space ship’s wings

Feathering of the wings

Feathering of the wings Wings tilt forwards to create a stable high-drag "feathered" shape

Feathering of the wings Care free re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere Protection against aerodynamic heating

The flight path Atmospheric re-entry

Advantages of feathering "This innovation allows the spacecraft to return to the atmosphere care free ” Burt Rutan SAFER - Minimises re-entry temp & stresses: Re-entry for traditional spacecraft - 1650 °C With feathering technique - 260 °C

Disadvantages of Feathering Shuttlecock re-entry technique viable for suborbital flights only: Altitude of only 100km Maximum of 6 mins weightlessness High price tag

Shuttlecock re-entry technique viable for suborbital flights only:

Altitude of only 100km

Maximum of 6 mins weightlessness

High price tag

Conclusions Virgin Galactic: Commercial space travel has well and truly begun This is not the end.