Rat in Space

[Eric Mc]

Bob Geldof has signed up to be a passenger in the Lynx suborbital spaceplane - which has yet to be tested.

I think he should do his homework before he pays his spacefare.

[otolith]

Inevitable that Geldof has sanctimoniously rentagobbed on the subject of climate change. Is it not a little hypocritical to be getting involved in space tourism?

[Eric Mc]

Didn't know he had.

My hunch is that this particular spaceship won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

[otolith]

I did check, but I knew perfectly well that he would have done so. It was inevitable.

[Eric Mc]

I wasn't doubting you.

IF the flight goes ahead, he will be the first Irishman in space. Although it will be only a sub-orbital flight.

I'm surprised he didn't go with Virgin Galactic, which is much closer to actually happening.

[rhinochopig]

There's a rat in the kitchen too, but what ya gonna do?

[Eric Mc]

Lock him in the oven.
Turn on the gas.
Throw in a match

and

BOOM (town) Rat.

[Simpo Two]

Eric Mc said:

the first Irishman in space.

I'm sure there's a joke there somewhere.

But for the money his ticket cost, why didn't he buy food for the starving Africans instead? It would have paid for thousands more to be born.

[Eric Mc]

I didn't really want this thread to become a debate on Bob Geldof's moral stance - they are doing that quite effectively over in the News Forum. I wanted to discuss here the technology and system that will take Geldof into space and its likelihood of it succeeding.

[MartG]

IMHO There's no chance of it flying with paying passengers next year - it hasn't even flown once yet, and think of all the test flying and certification it needs to go through to carry passengers

[Eric Mc]

My view too.

Look at how long it's taking Virgin Galactic and Dream Chaser (stupid name) to work up to their first flights.