So Spaceship One won the X-Prize by making it into “space” twice in the space of two weeks with 3 passengers’ worth of payload.
Given the current specs of the spacecraft, how much more do they have to do in order to orbit the thing? Note the question! I’m not asking about ground support, tracking, etc. I’m just asking how much more thrust does it need? How much more life support? Could this vehicle, as it is now, take itself out of orbit and land successfully?
This has been covered in other SS1 threads. Even if they added a big enough booster and managed to get it into orbit, SS1 could not safely return becuse it lacks heat shielding for the reentry velocity of an orbital flight.
I heard a discussion about this on tv. Spaceship One (S1) is a long way from orbital flight, and a long way from doing anything except taking passengers on an expensive joy ride. Pretty dang cool 
, though.
Peace,
mangeorge
Achieving orbital flight requires a whole different kind of vehicle. For one, you need huge amounts of energy, orders of magnitude more than SS1’s rocket engine can provide. You know those giant, enourmous rockets attached to the space shuttle? That’s the kind of power you need to get into orbit.
In addition, there’s the issue of heat shielding, and a maneuvering system for use when orbiting, which SS1 does not have.
It will take quite a while, and definitely a totally new spaceship, before the private sector can achieve orbital flight. I’m confident it will happen (eventually) though.
If you don’t mind I’ll switch to devil’s advocate mode now. I think that we can agree that if the hand of God placed SS1 in orbit that reentry would be suicide. That conceded what would be required to put it into orbit and start a reentry even if it would result in a smoking carbon fiber cinder.
So far nothing has reached orbit completely completley under its own power. Pure ballistic rockets have multiple stages, the shuttle orbiter has its SRBs and external fuel tank and even rocket planes like Pegasus need a plane to carry it to altitude.
We need a bigger booster but would SS1 have the structural strength to withstand being pushed into orbit. SS1 would have to be strong enough to attach a stronger booster and the aerodynamic pressure of being pushed through the air much faster. I serioudly doubt it the airframe has been overengineered to that point.
Life support may be the easiest thing to provide. Mercury astronauts orbited in very minimalist pressure suits but the cabin pressure may be sufficient. Just need to carry a bit more breathing oxygen.
As for control I’m not so sure. Doesn’t SS1 have reaction controls? Not sophisticated by shuttle standards but this is a seat of the pants propsition. The only thing Mercury had was attitude control to make sure the pointy was pointed away from the fire and the blunt end toward it.
A retro rocket might have to be added. I don’t know if the main engine can be shut off during ascent so there is fuel left to slow it from orbit as the shuttle does (IIRC).