Virgin Galactic returned to the skies last week in the Mojave desert , two years after afatal crashthat killed one of its pilots and destroyed its first spacecraft . While we ’re still wait intelligence of when the first commercial-grade flights will begin , the troupe now seems to be back on trail for the most part .
Last Thursday ’s test saw SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity , the successor to VSS Enterprise , have into the air by the WhiteKnightTwo flattop aircraft . Unity stay attached to its immune carrier aircraft the integral 3 hr and 43 proceedings of flying time , have sex as a captive carry mental testing , but the results will prove invaluable .
The party described the mental test as putting Unity in a “ flying wind tunnel ” , see how the spaceship do while in the air at an altitude of around 15,000 metre ( 50,000 feet ) . The prolonged flight sentence , much longer than Unity will stay in the air once commercial flights start , also provided data on how it will cope with the humiliated temperature of the upper air .
“ With this flight in the books , our squad will now analyze a mountain of flying data , learning what go well and what could be improved for our next flight examination , ” Virgin Galactic said in astatement . “ Only when that analytic thinking is done , along with detailed fomite inspections , some already - planned work , and potentially more engrossed carry flights , will we be quick to move into the next phase of psychometric test escape . ”
During the flight , two pilot program continue in the “ mothership ” VMS Eve – Mike Masucci and Todd Ericson – while pilot light Mark Stucky and Dave Mackay travel in VSS Unity , along with flight of steps examination engineer Wes Persall . The flight of steps go by without a arrest , with VMS Eve taking off and riposte to a track with VSS Unity attached . When right flight of stairs begin , both vehicle will take off together but land singly .
It ’s not clear yet when the next stage of testing will begin , though . Enterprise , before it was lost in October 2014 along with Colorado - pilot Michael Alsbury due to a flight of steps error , had flown freely with its Eruca sativa motor turned on . Unity , built around the same design , will have to go through similar testing before crewed trajectory can begin .
More than 600 multitude havebought tickets(first priced at $ 200,000 , now at $ 250,000 each ) to fly on little six - minute hop into space aboard the eight - seater fomite , including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt . It ’s been more than a decade since Virgin Galactic first came onto the scene , and these flight are yet to materialize . But that the party is now back on its feet suggests we may see the first paying customers fly in the next few year .
