# Question about billionaires in space **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898 "2021-07-20T15:09:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/1 "2021-07-20T15:09:03Z")
Can someone explain why Branson’s flight took 90 minutes but Bezos was only up for 10. As I understand it, they both had a few minutes at zero G and both got to the border of where space supposedly begins although Bezos went higher. What is the difference that accounts for a ninefold difference in flight time? ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/2 "2021-07-20T15:17:16Z")
These are both suborbital flights, so I supposoe the parabola for Bezos’ trajectory was simply steeper, with a higher altitude but less of a horizontal distance travelled. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/3 "2021-07-20T15:24:52Z")
Branson’s rocket was carried part of the way up by a specially built airplane before firing off. This allows for a smaller rocket, but takes longer to ride up. Bezos rode a rocket from ground to space, which requires a bigger rocket but takes less time. Branson’s rocket comes down like a glider/airplane, which takes longer but doesn’t require a parachute and gives more control over exact landing spot. Bezos’ rocket comes more or less straight down, which takes less time but does require a parachute and exact landing spot is not so easily controlled. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/4 "2021-07-20T16:02:29Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Branson’s rocket was carried part of the way up by a specially built airplane before firing off. This allows for a smaller rocket, but takes longer to ride up. This. The launch aircraft, White Knight Two, drops the spacecraft from an altitude of 49,000 feet, after which the spacecraft rocket motor lights and starts its ascent to space. 49,000 feet is a good bit higher than commercial aircraft fly, and WNT isn’t built for speed, so it takes a while to get there. > **[Scaled Composites White Knight Two](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaled_Composites_White_Knight_Two)** > > The Scaled Composites Model 348 White Knight Two (WK2) is a quadjet cargo aircraft that is used to lift the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft to release altitude. It was developed by Scaled Composites from 2007 to 2010 as the first stage of Tier 1b, a two-stage to suborbital-space crewed launch system. WK2 is based on the successful mothership to SpaceShipOne, White Knight, which itself is based on Proteus. > With an "open architecture"\[citation needed\] design and explicit plans for multi-purpose use, the a... The descent glide takes longer than Bezos’ capsule descent, but I think only by a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![shh1313](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shh1313/32/8020_2.png) [@shh1313](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shh1313)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/5 "2021-07-20T16:06:20Z")
Good answers. I watched both launches. This is my impression. Branson’s voyage appeared to target a section of the population who wants a more luxurious, traditional mode of going into outer space. Bezos voyage was much more exciting, dangerous, trip. It was louder, faster, then landing in a cloud of dust and toasting outside with champagne wearing cowboy hats. I liked both I would pick Branson’s trip for my mom and dad the family version. I would choose Bezos trip for excitement and adventure for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/6 "2021-07-20T16:36:09Z")
> [@shh1313](#): > > Branson’s voyage appeared to target a section of the population who wants a more luxurious, traditional mode of going into outer space. I’ll agree with the “luxurious” part, given that Branson’s group were sitting upright, and I would imagine the G-forces were far less. But “traditional”? I suppose it is sort of traditional if you compare it to regular air travel and ignore the “White Knight” portion. But compared to past flights, almost every single one of which had a vertical blast-off with everyone lying on their backs because of the high G-forces? By that standard, Bezos was FAR more traditional, no? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/7 "2021-07-20T16:47:33Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > both got to the border of where space supposedly begins although Bezos went higher. Not only did Bezos go higher, he went _significantly_ higher, given that he reached space as defined by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, which is 100 kilometers. Branson only got to space as defined by NASA and the US Air Force, which is 50 miles. (Which is not to denigrate his accomplishment in any way, except to compare it to Bezos’.) More info on Wikipedia at [Karman Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line) ---
**Author:** ![shh1313](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shh1313/32/8020_2.png) [@shh1313](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shh1313)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/8 "2021-07-20T17:06:07Z")
I using the word traditional as in more like flying on a jet. Buy tickets, boarding pass, take off, arrive at destination. It is what I would expect the experience to be. Branson nailed it. However if I’m buying a ticket I liked Bezos idea! I vision a semi remote location somewhere. Desert landing was perfect. I really don’t know how to explain it. His trip was what I would pay for if I had the money. They seemed like they had more fun. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/9 "2021-07-20T17:40:38Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I’ll agree with the “luxurious” part, given that Branson’s group were sitting upright, and I would imagine the G-forces were far less. They were only upright for the first and last parts of the flight. Once Spaceship Two’s rocket motor lit off and the vehicle pitched up toward space, they were lying on their backs, even farther back than the folks in Blue Origin. **[Blue Origin interior, showing occupant posture](https://cdn.geekwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/210113-capsule.jpeg)**. Occupants maintained this posture/orientation throughout the flight (except during the weightless portion). **[Pics of Spaceship Two interior, showing seating configuration.](https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/07/virgin-galactic-reveals-the-sleek-interior-design-of-its-spaceship/)** During zero-G the seatbacks recline almost parallel to the floor, providing the max airspace for weightless hijinks - but the rest of the time, you are postured as if on a passenger airliner, with your thighs parallel to the floor and your back ~perpendicular to it. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/10 "2021-07-20T18:01:13Z")
Whatever the Kármán Line defines, for me it isn’t space travel if it remains suborbital. What Yuri Gagarin achieved 1961 _was_ space travel, what Alan Shepard did was _not_ in 1961, but sure was 1971. When the billionaires get over this anal (or is it phallic?)-puerile phase sensible rules will apply, I hope - except for Elon Musk: His will be harsher. The maximum number of characters allowed in his tweets will be equal to 280 multiplied by the G-force that he is under at the moment of writing. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/11 "2021-07-20T19:14:35Z")
100 km vs 50 miles is really 100 vs 80.5 km. That’s a difference, without a doubt, but not as extreme as the mixed units view would imply ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/12 "2021-07-20T19:21:16Z")
BILLIONAIREEESSSSSS … in SPAAAAAACCCEEEE! Call Hollywood (or the Muppets). It sings! ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/13 "2021-07-20T20:54:28Z")
Today’s New Shepard flight is discussed [in another thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-origin-launching-people-into-space-in-july/941485/35) that includes more detail on the flight profile, G-forces, etc. So Blue Origin’s flight is much faster, goes much higher, etc. compared to Branson’s more gentle SpaceShipTwo. The key difference is how many G’s the passenger’s experience. An analogy: If you hit the gas as hard as you can when the light turns green, you’ll reach maybe 40 mph then arrive at the next red light one block away very quickly. But then you’ll need to slam on the brakes. This is a lot rougher on your passengers, compared to the limo that smoothly accelerates, reaches a stately 25 mph then smoothly brakes, arriving fully 10-15 seconds slower than you (you speed demon!). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/14 "2021-07-21T22:45:39Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > 100 km vs 50 miles is really 100 vs 80.5 km. That’s a difference, without a doubt, but not as extreme as the mixed units view would imply From news reports, the two recent flights reached altitudes of 107 km (New Shepard) and 86 km (SpaceShipTwo). I believe both have reached higher altitudes in test flights. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/15 "2021-07-22T15:52:23Z")
TBH, i was more impressed by Felix Baumgartner’s efforts. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FHtvDA0W34I/maxresdefault.jpg "Felix Baumgartner's supersonic freefall from 128k' - Mission Highlights") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHtvDA0W34I) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/16 "2021-07-22T16:43:30Z")
Or this guy, who almost did more with less: [Nick Piantanida - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Piantanida) ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-billionaires-in-space/946898/17 "2021-07-22T22:29:44Z")
I wish Nick was better known.