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Space odyssey 2008


PanOntario

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not exactly an aviation topic... but it's pretty close

Space odyssey takes shape

British billionaire Richard Branson unveils design that will take well-heeled space cadets to new highs

NEW YORK–They're called SpaceShipTwo and White Knight Two.

And at a news conference yesterday, British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson predicted that the imminent arrival of these sleek siblings – currently under construction in California – will herald an era with implications well beyond space tourism.

"2008 will really be the year of the spaceship," he said.

Branson, along with aircraft designer Burt Rutan, unveiled scale models of the ships yesterday, providing a look at the two-stage design that will carry tourists on suborbital flights in the coming years. It was also revealed that Rutan's Scaled Composites will manufacture the two-stage design for other clients in the future.

"We believe these systems will be operated in a lot of different spaceports around the world," said Rutan.

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