Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo craft, VSS Unity, took its second free-flying test run today, closing off a rebuilding year for the space venture.
At the start of the year, the company was still finishing up work on its second SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, incorporating the lessons learned from the breakup of the first SpaceShipTwo in October 2014.
That accident occurred during a rocket-powered test, killing co-pilot Mike Alsbury and severely injuring pilot Pete Siebold. Investigators blamed pilot error as well as a host of other contributing factors.
VSS Unity rolled out this February amid a burst of Virgin-style hoopla, and since then the SpaceShipTwo team has been conducting a low-profile series of tests. The 27-foot-wide plane was released from its WhiteKnightTwo mothership for its first unpowered glide flight on Dec. 3.
Today’s flight from California’s Mojave Air and Space Port followed a similar profile, with the aim of checking the craft’s aerodynamics under a variety of conditions. Virgin Galactic’s Dave Mackay and Mark Stucky repeated their roles as SpaceShipTwo’s pilots.
These tweets told the tale:
Good afternoon, Mojave. Looking good for a #SpaceShipTwo flight test. Stay tuned for more updates. pic.twitter.com/Iw0dCq4VQ0
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) December 22, 2016
Take-off. Today is 6th flight for VSS Unity #SpaceShipTwo, 221st for #WhiteKnightTwo
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) December 22, 2016
Release release release: VSS Unity and WhiteKnightTwo are flying on their own. 2nd glide flight for #SpaceShipTwo
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) December 22, 2016
Smooth landing for VSS Unity. In #SpaceShipTwo: pilots Mackay and Stucky.
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) December 22, 2016
#WhiteKnightTwo has landed: pilots Sturkow and Pecile, flight test engr Mosher. Next up: data review and holidays.
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) December 22, 2016
VSS Unity's second glide flight test occurred yesterday. Here she is gliding home. Thanks to our pilots & crew & you all for cheering us on. pic.twitter.com/L5zzSyDAUS
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) December 23, 2016
If all goes well, Virgin Galactic and its manufacturing subsidiary, The Spaceship Company, could begin rocket-powered tests by mid-2017, leading up to crewed flights that hit outer-space altitudes. Once the testing team is satisfied with VSS Unity’s performance, operations will shift from Mojave to Spaceport America in New Mexico.
About 700 customers have paid as much as $250,000 each for suborbital space rides on VSS Unity. The schedule for commercial operations depends on how the test program goes, but it’s not out of the question for the first of those customers to climb on board by this time next year.