Virgin Galactic update

Virgin Galactic sent an update to subscribers of its email list on Wednesday. The update isn’t posted on its web site, so here’s a summary:

Virgin announced last week its first “Founder” from Dubai, an artist named Namira Salim. (An article from over five years ago described her as a “sculptor, painter, musician and a […]

Spaceport Woomera

Australian-born NASA astronaut Andy Thomas has a vision for Woomera, the long-forgotten Australian launch site: a “10-year plan to use the Outback site to send international tourists into space and launch satellites”, according to The Advertiser, an Adelaide newspaper. Thomas has suggested that the Australian government spend A$150 million (US$110 million) over ten years to […]

Insuring space tourism

That leading publication of the space industry, Insurance Journal, follows up a report on the web site of Lloyd’s of London that the insurer, famous for taking on risks conventional insurers shun, is considering providing coverage for Virgin Galactic. The insurance would cover the “hull value” of Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo vehicles; the cost would depend on […]