Sir Richard Branson has announced that the aircraft WhiteKnightTwo, which will help to launch suborbital passenger spaceship SpaceShipTwo (SS2) into space, will also be used for the new disposable two-stage booster LauncherOne on liquid fuel (SS2 - hybrid engine).

The latter will put into orbit a small satellite. It will cost about ten times smaller than now.

LauncherOne is expected to be able to launch satellites weighing up to 225 kg into low earth orbit and 102 kg in sun-synchronous. The test flight is scheduled for 2015, and start the full work - in 2016. A number of companies, they say, have already expressed interest in cooperation, and among them Planetary Resources, which is going to run several small space telescopes to search for asteroids that contains minerals.

The advantage of the system WhiteKnightTwo and LauncherOne is, incidentally, not only in relatively low value of start (about $10 million), but in the fact that the plane will allow to launch missiles at a very high altitude, where no weather will not prevent. It eliminates the traditional limitation that oppresses the space.

At the air show in English Farnborough sir Richard has also announced that he and his children will be the first passengers SS2. The head of the Corporation Virgin, his son Sam and daughter Holly 100 km out of the atmosphere near the end of next year. Their example will be followed by about 120 other tourists who agreed to give $200 thousand for two hours flight.

As "CL" repeatedly shouted at dawn, WhiteKnightTwo with SS2, six passengers and two pilots will start from the spaceport in new Mexico (USA), built by the British architect Lord foster. At the height of 15 240 m SS2 will uncouple and go into space. There, sir Richard, and others will experience weightlessness, after which the ship (in fact - glider) will return the spaceport. Previously, passengers will be held weekly training session.

Virgin Galactic announced that the flight had signed a total of 529 people (above 120 are those who have already paid), including, rumors, brad pitt and Angelina Jolie. It should be noted that in the 60 years that have passed since Yury Alekseevich, in space has been slightly less than 528 people.

The first who bought reservation in 2004 became the Irish entrepreneur and writer bill Cullen. Now he's seventy, but he does not leave hopes to become the first Irishman in space.

WhiteKnightTwo and LauncherOne: