In February of this year Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo was relocated to its New Mexico commercial headquarters at Spaceport America. Now, VSS Unity completed its first test flight on Friday, May 01. The test flight is a milestone in nearing commercial service. Also, Virgin Galactic has concluded the relocation of its spaceline operations team and families to New Mexico.
VSS Unity was released from the carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, at 50,000 ft and flew in New Mexico airspace for the first time. The test flight reported glide speed of Mach 0.70, completion of multiple test-points, a smooth return landing at Spaceport America, and health and wellness procedures ensuring safety against COVID-19.
The flight allowed for testing of all components needed for flying the spaceship and the carrier aircraft regarding glide configuration, aerodynamic modeling, new airspace familiarization, and pilot training. All test objectives were completed during Friday’s successful flight.
The company anticipates date confirmation for commercial flight in 2020 and is allowing customers to show their interest by filling out an online form with a fully refundable $1,000 deposit as an initial step towards seat confirmation for spaceflight.
“I’d like to congratulate our team for reaching this flight milestone, especially during these challenging times. I am grateful for the commitment displayed by everyone involved, not only in helping to support relief efforts in both New Mexico and California, but also for the dedication and creativity which will allow us to continue safely towards our goal of commercial launch.” -George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company.
Release Courtesy of Virgin Galactic
