Exhibit Will Display Models Of New Spacecraft; 'More Details To
Come'
Last week's unveiling of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo and
WhiteKnightTwo brought the world's attention back to the potential
of space tourism... and one of the first places where the public
will be able to discover more about the possibilities will be at
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, coming July 28 through August 3 at Wittman
Regional Airport in Oshkosh, WI.
Virgin Galactic confirmed that they will host a significant
exhibit at EAA AirVenture 2008, located adjacent to the event's
AeroShell Square showcase area. That exhibit will include the
large, detailed models unveiled by Virgin Galactic, as well as
several presentations by the Virgin Galactic team. The display
builds on the excitement of civilian space travel that Virgin
Galactic first announced during SpaceShipOne's visit to Oshkosh in
2005.
As ANN reported, Virgin Group
founder Sir Richard Branson and acclaimed aerospace designer Burt
Rutan (shown below) unveiled the new spacecraft concepts in a press
conference last Wednesday.
"The excitement when the SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo designs
were made public was electric," said Adam Smith, the Experimental
Aircraft Association's vice president of membership services. "It's
thrilling to know that EAA AirVenture has played a part in the
timeline that led us to this new horizon of space travel, and
equally thrilling to know that Virgin Galactic will be back at
Oshkosh this summer to tell even more of the story."
No doubt, most ANN
readers already know Rutan originally designed the first White
Knight and SpaceShipOne to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize in
2004. At AirVenture 2005, as
SpaceShipOne was displayed for the aviation world, Virgin Galactic
announced its intentions to create the next generation of the
spacecraft to begin regular spaceflights.
More details of Virgin Galactic's presence at EAA AirVenture
2008 will be announced as they are confirmed, according to EAA
officials. (Hmm... flight testing of the
WhiteKnightTwo IS supposed to begin this summer...
Ed.)
"We are very much looking forward to welcoming back Virgin
Galactic to EAA AirVenture this year," Smith said. "Oshkosh is
known as the place where aviation innovation is showcased. Given
the tremendous popularity of Burt Rutan's designs at Oshkosh over
the past 35 years and the 'buzz' that SpaceShipOne created here in
2005, there's little doubt that there will be eager enthusiasm on
the grounds for Virgin Galactic's newest developments this
year."