14 DAY TRIAL // Officials at the private spaceflight company Virgin Galactic are excited to announce the successful completion of the seventh glide test flight of the SpaceShipTwo. This is the machine that the company plans to use to take paying customers on suborbital joyrides high above Earth's surface.
The recent test, which was conducted on Wednesday, May 4, was meant to assess the performances of a novel flight system that the vehicle will use as it reenters Earth's atmosphere. The feature is critical for a successful flight, experts say.
SpaceShipTwo took off yesterday from Runway 30 at the Mojave Air and Space Port, in the Mojave Desert, California. This is where Virgin Galactic is headquartered, and where the company conducts all of its flight tests.
The spacecraft used for the flight tests is the first of its series, and has been named the VSS Enterprise, after the spacecraft by the same name in the Star Trek movies and series. Its mothership is called the WhiteKnightTwo, Space reports.
Mojave, California-based company Scaled Composites was in charge of designing and building the spacecraft and its carrier. They apparently did a good job too, since all test flights carried out with this combo thus far were successful.
When put into active duty, VSS Enterprise and other spacecraft in this series will be able to carry 6 paying passengers to low-Earth orbit, for several minutes. Such a joyride is currently being sold for $200,000, but prices will conceivably decrease in the future.
As Virgin builds more and more SpaceShipTwo, and other competitors make their way to the market, prices are bound to decrease, analysts say. The next few years are shaping up to be the golden age of private spaceflight.
But, before Virgin Galactic can join in on the fun, it needs to get its fleet up and running. Yesterday's flight was one of the most critical milestones in the SpaceShipTwo development process.
“In all test flight programs, after the training, planning and rehearsing, there comes the moment when you have to go up there and fly it for real. Thismorning's flight was a test pilot's dream,” explains Scaled Composites test pilot Pete Siebold.
“The spaceship is a joy to fly and the feathered descent portion added a new, unusual but wonderful dynamic to the ride. The fact that it all went according to plan and that there were no surprises is a great testament to the whole team,” he adds.
Siebold conducted the new flight alongside fellow SC test pilot Clint Nichols.