Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo is getting closer to commercial operations with a successful third crewed test flight.
The SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity was launched from Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport America in New Mexico at 8:35 AM local time on May 22, marking the first crewed flight of the vehicle deployed in the state. The previous two test flights had taken place at the Mojave Air and Space Port in southeastern California.
VSS Unity’s third crewed test flight. (Video: Virgin Galactic).
Approximately 50 minutes after takeoff, VSS Unity separated from VMS Eve at an altitude of 13,411 meters and activated its rocket engine to fly into suborbital space. A spokesperson for Virgin Galactic stated that the spacecraft flew at three times the speed of sound, reaching a maximum altitude of 89.2 kilometers before returning to the ground. This means it came close to the Kármán line (100 kilometers above sea level) – the recognized boundary between the atmosphere and outer space.
The flight lasted a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes as pilots CJ Sturckow and Dave Mackay landed the craft on the runway at 9:45 AM local time. VSS Unity is designed to carry 6 passengers, but this test flight only included two pilots and some scientific payloads.
Virgin Galactic’s space tourism vehicle is in the final stages of its testing campaign but is not yet ready for commercial operations. The company may conduct additional crewed test flights this year before beginning to accept passengers, expected in early 2022.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard space tourism system. (Photo: Blue Origin).
Virgin Galactic’s timeline is slower compared to its direct competitor, Blue Origin. The company, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, is set to offer space tourism services in July this year with its automated New Shepard system. Blue Origin is auctioning one of six tickets for this flight, and as of May 21, a customer had bid up to $2.8 million.
Blue Origin has yet to announce ticket prices for their regular flights, while Virgin Galactic has begun taking reservations at a price of $250,000 per seat. Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson stated that more than 600 people have already signed up for their space tourism service.
