Meet Virgin Mothership Eve

Katherine Mangu-Ward | July 28, 2008

Meet the VMS Eve (short for Virgin Mothership Eve), the newly-completed launcher that's going to be schlepping anyone with the cash on a space vacation in the very near future. SpaceShipTwo, the part passengers will actually ride in, is about 70 percent complete, according to engineers.

The retro-looking space pinup painted on its side is inspired by an old photo of the vehicle's namesake, Eve Branson—Richard's Branson mother.

More on the joys of commercial space travel here.

Comments

Nigel Watt|7.28.08 @ 3:25PM|#

Is "Virgin Mothership" an oxymoron?

|7.28.08 @ 3:36PM|#

The retro-looking space pinup painted on its side is inspired by an old photo of the vehicle's namesake, Eve Branson-Richard's Branson mother.

OK...ew?

|7.28.08 @ 3:48PM|#

Two fuselages with a joint wing? Wild.

the innominate one|7.28.08 @ 3:48PM|#

Nigel: not to Christians

The retro-looking space pinup painted on its side is inspired by an old photo of the vehicle's namesake, Eve Branson-Richard's Branson mother.

shades of Chinatown? or Oedipus Rex?

sean|7.28.08 @ 4:02PM|#

Why is the guy from Abba posing in a spaceship?

|7.28.08 @ 4:04PM|#

Cool!

I think I'll wait for the bugs to be worked out and the price to come down before making my reservation.

Yes, I'm a skinflint coward when it comes to space travel.

|7.28.08 @ 4:11PM|#

This is so freaking awesome.

Johnny Nowhere|7.28.08 @ 4:12PM|#

MP,

Burt Rutan is not just a genius, he's a supra-genius.

rhsc|7.28.08 @ 4:16PM|#

remember, it's only a virgin for the first ride

David Rollins|7.28.08 @ 4:30PM|#

Tits Up!

Really, Really Old Guy|7.28.08 @ 4:32PM|#

"remember, it's only a virgin for the first ride"

Brings to mind the spinster's tombstone which reads:

Born a virgin, lived a virgin, sied a virgin -- no hits, no runs, no errors.

|7.28.08 @ 5:28PM|#

The retro-looking space pinup painted on its side is inspired by an old photo of the vehicle's namesake, Eve Branson-Richard's Branson mother.

I would travel back in time and hit that.

Why is the guy from Abba posing in a spaceship?

I was thinking one of the Allman brothers, but very good.

And yes, this is very cool.

BakedPenguin|7.28.08 @ 5:32PM|#

The house, the house, the house is burnin' down!

|7.28.08 @ 5:35PM|#

Finally someone is getting the ball rolling on private, commercial space travel. Maybe if Virgin is successful in this endeavor and spawns competitors then maybe by 2020 we can be seriously talking about eliminating NASA.

BakedPenguin|7.28.08 @ 5:36PM|#

Oops. Wrong mothership.

|7.28.08 @ 5:52PM|#

VMS Eve sure gives a whole new meaning to gravity-defying tits.

This reminds me of the World War II bomber logos, they usually featured scantily clad (by 1940's standards) women. Memphis Belle, anyone?

TallDave|7.28.08 @ 6:09PM|#

Almost as pretty as my new Corvette, whose shipping has been delayed several agonizing days.

Ridley|7.28.08 @ 6:34PM|#

VMS Eve sure gives a whole new meaning to gravity-defying tits.

In space, nobody can see you sag.

DJ Voton|7.28.08 @ 6:52PM|#

Reading quickly, I thought it said,"...the vehicle's namesake, Eva Braun," although that might be marginally less creepy.

Travis|7.28.08 @ 10:20PM|#

"Oops. Wrong mothership"

I just saw Parliament in concert last Friday they were fucking awesome.

|7.28.08 @ 10:48PM|#

Boy, look at the beard on that bitch.

|7.29.08 @ 3:27AM|#

This is absolutely beautiful. The day that space-travel enters private enterprise is the day that we don't have to rely dumb arbitrary conditions (I'm looking at you, Cold War) to experience the magic of people in space.

|7.29.08 @ 9:44AM|#

And his mother is still alive, 85 years old.

Ick.

Zubon|7.29.08 @ 9:47AM|#

Someone remind him to roll up that window before going into outer space. (Oddly, power windows are optional on that model.)

|7.29.08 @ 9:49AM|#

Bramblyspam

This reminds me of the World War II bomber logos, they usually featured scantily clad (by 1940's standards) women.

Actually it's only the tamer ones that are usually shown today.

A lot of them were pretty racy by any set of standards.

The war saw a loosening of sexual mores (possibly as a relief to the utter regimentation of every other aspect of life). The fifties saw them tightened again.

|7.29.08 @ 9:52AM|#

For example:

This one

Guy Montag|7.29.08 @ 4:45PM|#

Almost as pretty as my new Corvette, whose shipping has been delayed several agonizing days.

Those are pretty cool as far as GM products go.

Gonna get a hybrid badge for it after your first burnout?