SpaceShipTwo

[tnt22]

NASA‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA 3 ч. назад

Congrats to @VirginGalactic on SpaceShipTwo's successful flight to suborbital space w/ four @NASA_Technology payloads. With access to reduced-gravity, researchers collect data needed to mature their tech for use in deep space. More about our tech onboard: https://go.nasa.gov/2IFVKVQ 

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/image-feature/virgin-galactic-goes-for-two-helps-nasa-mature-space-tech

Feb. 22, 2019

Virgin Galactic Goes for Two, Helps NASA Mature Space Tech



Editor's Note: Virgin Galactic's test flight of SpaceShipTwo lifted off on Feb. 22 and landed safely after a trip to suborbital space. For updates, follow @virgingalactic on Twitter.

Just over two months since its first venture to suborbital space, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo is set to fly again and test four NASA-supported technologies. The flight, taking off no earlier than Feb. 20, is the company's second mission for NASA.

The planned experiments cover a range of research areas, from life support systems to electromagnetic fields. Most of the technologies flew onboard SpaceShipTwo in December 2018 and, more recently, two launched on a Blue Origin rocket. Regular access to reduced-gravity lets researchers collect data needed to mature their technologies for use in deep space.

The four technology payloads planned for the mission are:

[/li]
• Microgravity Multi-Phase Flow Experiment for Suborbital Testing, NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston
• Vibration Isolation Platform, Controlled Dynamics Inc. in Huntington Beach, California
• Collisions into Dust Experiment, University of Central Florida in Orlando
• Electromagnetic Field Measurements, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore
  

The photo (Credit: Virgin Galactic) shows the NASA Johnson technology payload being loaded into Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo on Dec. 13, 2018. The payload will fly again on the winged spacecraft's second flight to suborbital space.


Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity during its first flight to suborbital space in December 2018.
Credits: Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic and other U.S. commercial spaceflight providers are contracted to provide flight services to NASA for flight testing and technology demonstration. Researchers from academia and industry with concepts for exploration, commercial space applications or other space utilization technologies of potential interest to NASA can receive grants from the Flight Opportunities program to purchase suborbital flights from various U.S. commercial spaceflight providers. The Tech Flights solicitation for potential payloads is open until April 26, 2019.

Last Updated: Feb. 22, 2019
Editor: Loura Hall

[tnt22]

VSS Unity's First Human Passenger

SciNews

Опубликовано: 22 февр. 2019 г.

VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic's second SpaceShipTwo, completed its fifth supersonic powered test flight on 22 February 2019, reaching an apogee of 89.9km (55.85miles, 294,9007ft). VSS Unity was piloted by Virgin Galactic pilots Mark "Forger" Stucky and Frederick "CJ" Sturckow, with Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic's Chief Astronaut Instructor, as a passenger.
Credit: Virgin Galactic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EczI8K1HsiMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EczI8K1HsiM (2:23)

[tnt22]

https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/virgin-galactic-makes-space-for-second-time-in-ten-weeks-with-three-on-board/

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

Virgin Galactic Makes Space for Second Time in Ten Weeks with Three On Board, Reaching Higher Altitudes and Faster Speeds, as Flight Test Program Continues

Mojave, California, USA (22 Feb 2019): Today, Virgin Galactic conducted its fifth powered test flight and second space flight of its commercial SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity. Please find reporting materials below for news coverage and multimedia reporting.

In its fifth supersonic rocket powered test flight, Virgin Galactic reached space for the second time today in the skies above Mojave CA. Spaceship VSS Unity reached its highest speed and altitude to date and, for the first time, carried a third crew member on board along with research payloads from the NASA Flight Opportunities program.

This space flight means Chief Pilot Dave Mackay and co-pilot Michael "Sooch" Masucci become commercial astronauts and the 569th and 570th humans in space. Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic's Chief Astronaut Instructor, flew as the third crew member in a first, live evaluation of cabin dynamics. She is the 571st person to fly to space and the first woman to fly on board a commercial spaceship.

In addition to this element of envelope expansion, VSS Unity flew higher and faster than ever before, as its world record-holding hybrid rocket motor propelled the spaceship at Mach 3.04 to an apogee of 295,007ft.

Спойлер

The crew enjoyed extraordinary views of Earth from the black skies of space and, during several minutes of weightlessness while the pilots "feathered" the spaceship in preparation for a Mach 2.7 re-entry, Beth floated free to complete a number of cabin evaluation test points. The human validation of data previously collected via sensors, and the live testing of other physical elements of the cabin interior, are fundamental to the provision of a safe but enjoyable customer experience.

The glide back home was followed by a smooth runway landing and a rapturous reception from the crowd on the flight line, which included staff and some of Virgin Galactic's 600 Future Astronaut customers.

Chief Pilot Dave Mackay, a born and bred Scotsman as well as an ex-RAF test pilot and Virgin Atlantic Captain, led his crew of newly qualified astronauts from VSS Unity accompanied by a kilted piper.

Today's flight notched several additional firsts for the industry: The flight was the first time that a non-pilot flew on board a commercial spaceship to space, and it was the first time that a crew member floated freely without restraints in weightlessness in space onboard a commercial spaceship; it was the first time that three people flew to space on a commercial spaceship, and Dave Mackay became the first Scottish-born astronaut (Brian Binnie, who was raised in Scotland, flew to space in 2004).

Addressing colleagues and guests Dave said: "Beth, Sooch and I just enjoyed a pretty amazing flight which was beyond anything any of us has ever experienced. It was thrilling yet smooth and nicely controlled throughout with a view at the top, of the Earth from space, which exceeded all our expectations. I am incredibly proud of my crew and of the amazing teams at Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company for providing a vehicle and an operation which means we can fly confidently and safely. For the three of us today this was the fulfillment of lifelong ambitions, but paradoxically is also just the beginning of an adventure which we can't wait to share with thousands of others."

Sir Richard Branson said: "Flying the same vehicle safely to space and back twice in a little over two months, while at the same time expanding the flight envelope, is testament to the unique capability we have built up within the Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company organizations. I am immensely proud of everyone involved. Having Beth fly in the cabin today, starting to ensure that our customer journey is as flawless as the spaceship itself, brings a huge sense of anticipation and excitement to all of us here who are looking forward to experiencing space for ourselves. The next few months promise to be the most thrilling yet"

[свернуть]

For downloadable assets from today's flight test please visit our Press FTP https://www.image.net/virgingalactic

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/02/22/virgin-galactic-stages-second-piloted-spaceflight/

Virgin Galactic stages second piloted spaceflight
February 22, 2019 | William Harwood

STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION


Virgin Galactic chief pilot Dave Mackay and co-pilot Michael "Sooch" Masucci at the controls of SpaceShipTwo during Friday's test flight. Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor, Beth Moses, accompanied the pilots on the flight to the edge of space. Credit: Virgin Galactic

Two test pilots and their instructor flew Virgin Galactic's winged spaceplane out of the discernible atmosphere Friday for the second time in nine weeks, a successful sub-orbital flight that moves Richard Branson's company one step closer to its goal of launching paying passengers and payloads on brief forays into the weightlessness of space.

Running two days late because of high winds, Virgin's SpaceShipTwo rocketplane, also known as VSS Unity, was carried aloft from the Mojave Air & Space Port north of Los Angeles by a twin-fuselage carrier jet known as WhiteKnightTwo.

After the air and spacecraft were off the ground, Virgin Galactic revealed that chief pilot Dave Mackay and co-pilot Mike "Sooch" Masucci were joined by Beth Moses, the company's chief astronaut instructor.

A few minutes later, around 11:50 a.m. EST (GMT-5), SpaceShipTwo was released from the carrier jet and a few moments later, Mackay and Masucci ignited the spacecraft's hybrid rocket motor to begin a steep near-vertical climb out of the thick lower atmosphere.

It was the fifth supersonic flight of the futuristic-looking spaceplane and the 16th overall since a catastrophic 2014 in-flight breakup that destroyed an earlier version of the spacecraft and killed one of its two pilots. Friday's flight was the company's second featuring a long-duration rocket firing.

Спойлер

SpaceShipTwo fires its rocket motor during Friday's test flight. Credit: Virgin Galactic / MarsScientific.com / Trumbull Studios

Branson, who was not on site for the test, said earlier he hopes testing will be complete in time for him to fly into space himself on July 20, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. But he said meeting an arbitrary target will not drive the test schedule and that commercial operations will not begin until all aspects of testing are complete.

"Having Beth fly in the cabin today, starting to ensure that our customer journey is as flawless as the spaceship itself, brings a huge sense of anticipation and excitement to all of us here who are looking forward to experiencing space for ourselves," Branson said in a statement. "The next few months promise to be the most thrilling yet."

Friday's flight appeared to go off without a hitch as the pilots guided the vehicle out of the discernible atmosphere. The rocket motor shut down normally about a minute after ignition and the spacecraft coasted upward at a Virgin record 3.04 times the speed of sound to an altitude of 55.87 miles, or 295,007 feet.

For comparison, NASA pilot Joe Walker flew the air-launched X-15 rocketplane to an altitude of 67.1 miles on Aug. 22, 1963, the highest point ever achieved by the legendary aircraft, 17 miles above the 50-mile altitude the Air Force considers the "boundary" of space.

SpaceShipTwo made its first trip into space Dec. 13, reaching an altitude of 51.4 miles. The two pilots, Mark Stucky and C.J. Sturckow, a former space shuttle commander, were awarded commercial astronaut wings by the Federal Aviation Administration and their rocket motor was put on display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

Mackay and Masucci flew a similar flight profile Friday, but SpaceShipTwo was rigged more like it will be or commercial flights and the motor fired slightly longer, pushing the vehicle to a higher altitude. And they had a passenger of sorts in Moses.

As the spacecraft arced over at the top of its trajectory, the crew experienced about five minutes of weightlessness as they enjoyed a view of Earth's curved horizon and the deep black of space. Moses had time to unstrap and float about the cabin.

"Beth floated free to complete a number of cabin evaluation test points," Virgin said in a post-flight statement. "The human validation of data previously collected via sensors, and the live testing of other physical elements of the cabin interior, are fundamental to the provision of a safe but enjoyable customer experience."

Before plunging back to Earth, the pilots raised the vehicle's twin tail booms to an angle of 60 degrees, a maneuver known as "feathering," that increases atmospheric drag and eases aerodynamic stress.


SpaceShipTwo took off with its carrier airplane from Mojave Air and Space Port, California. Credit: Virgin Galactic

"Beth, Sooch and I just enjoyed a pretty amazing flight which was beyond anything any of us has ever experienced," Mackay said in a statement. "It was thrilling yet smooth and nicely controlled throughout with a view at the top, of the Earth from space, which exceeded all our expectations.

"For the three of us today this was the fulfillment of lifelong ambitions, but paradoxically is also just the beginning of an adventure which we can't wait to share with thousands of others."

The feather concept was the brainchild of legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan. With financing from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Rutan's company at the time, Scaled Composites, carried out the first privately funded sub-orbital spaceflight in 2004 to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize.

Branson then arranged to use a scaled-up version of the design and founded Virgin Galactic, which eventually took over development and commercial flight operations.

During Friday's flight, the feathering procedure worked normally and after rotating the tail booms back to their normal position, Mackay and Masucci flew a normal gliding approach to a runway landing back at the Mojave Air & Space Port.

"The team's overriding priority is always to bring crew and spaceship home safely," Virgin said in a pre-flight statement. "Whether we complete all our objectives during the next flight or not, we remain committed to completing the final stages of flight test as quickly, but more importantly as safely, as possible."

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

OVERVIEW | Episode 4: Meet The Virgin Galactic Spaceship Pilots

Virgin Galactic

Опубликовано: 19 февр. 2019 г.

How do you become a pilot for Virgin Galactic? Watch what inspires our spaceship pilots to do what they do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEAeU-B2rA4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEAeU-B2rA4 (5:38)

[triage]

Первый пассажир (не турист и не пилот) суборбитальных полетов в мире?

tnt22 пишет:
For downloadable assets from today's flight test please visit our Press FTP https://www.image.net/virgingalactic

интересные видео

[Astro Cat]

pnetmon пишет:
интересные видео

Ничего интересного. Какие то говорящие головы и микрокусочки полетов.

[tnt22]

Virgin Galactic In Space For The Second Time

Virgin Galactic

Опубликовано: 22 февр. 2019 г.

On 22nd February 2019, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo flew into space at three times the speed of sound with three crew members on board.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuEcJrNp0MMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuEcJrNp0MM (2:08)

[zandr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaVoG1nuu2c 

Beth Moses's first flight on board VSS Unity
SciNews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaVoG1nuu2c4:17
Beth Moses, Chief Astronaut Instructor at Virgin Galactic, describes the first flight on board VSS Unity, on 22 February 2019. Beth Moses floated free to complete a number of cabin evaluation test points, while VSS Unity reached an apogee of 89.9km (55.85miles, 294,9007ft). VSS Unity was piloted by Chief Pilot Dave Mackay and co-pilot Michael "Sooch" Masucci.
Credit: Virgin Galactic

[tnt22]

Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 12 мин. назад

The 3rd, 4th and 5th @VirginGalactic astronauts receive Commercial Astronaut Wings. Congratulations to our Chief Pilot, Dave Mackay, Pilot, Mike 'Sooch' Masucci, and our Chief Astronaut Instructor, Beth Moses, who were presented wings by the @FAANews. #SpaceSymposium #35Space

[К.А.]

Бородатого аж парализовало от счастья.

[tnt22]

Three Person Crew From Virgin Galactic's Second Spaceflight Receive Commercial Astronaut Wings
Доступ по ссылке

Virgin Galactic

Опубликовано: 9 апр. 2019 г.

The three-person crew from Virgin Galactic's second spaceflight receive Commercial Astronaut Wings from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfeyItJzmQghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfeyItJzmQg (1:09)

[tnt22]

https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/three-virgin-galactic-crew-presented-with-commercial-astronaut-wings-at-35th-national-space-symposium

APRIL 9, 2019

Three Virgin Galactic crew presented with Commercial Astronaut Wings at 35th National Space Symposium

Colorado, USA (9th April 2019):

The three-person crew fr om Virgin Galactic's second spaceflight have received Commercial Astronaut Wings from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Chief Pilot, Dave Mackay, Lead Pilot trainer, Mike 'Sooch' Masucci and Chief Astronaut Instructor, Beth Moses, were presented their wings at the 35th National Space Symposium, wh ere it was also announced that Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company (TSC) are to be presented the Space Achievement Award later this week.

The crew became the 5th, 6th and 7th people in history to receive this honor, and Beth the first woman to earn Commercial Astronaut Wings.

The wings were presented by the FAA'S Associate Administrator for the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, Wayne R. Monteith who declared: "Commercial human spaceflight is now a reality. These wings are just a small recognition for the truly remarkable achievement by these crew members to reach outer space. It shows we are well on the way into this new and exciting chapter of space travel."

Спойлер

The February 22nd test flight completed Virgin Galactic's second spaceflight in 10 weeks and saw the crew rocket into space at more than three times the speed of sound. As the spaceship coasted to apogee, Beth, who became the first woman to fly to space on a commercial spaceship, floated free to complete a number of cabin validation checks. Beth said: "It was an honor to receive my Commercial Astronaut Wings today. Since the flight we have been assessing the findings from my cabin evaluations; I'm excited by what the results are showing and looking forward to incorporating what we learnt into our cabin outfitting and astronaut training program."

Richard Branson sent a message of congratulations to the crew: "Seeing Dave, Mike and Beth receive their Commercial Astronaut Wings is a proud moment for all of us at Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company. Our pilots executed a perfect flight and it was wonderful to have Beth float free to conduct our first live cabin evaluation. The flight was another historic moment as we continue towards our mission of becoming the world's first commercial spaceline."

The Space Achievement Award will be presented to Richard Branson at the closing dinner of the Symposium, and has been awarded in recognition of the success of both crewed spaceflights, which were the first from U.S soil since the final Space Shuttle mission in 2011. Tom Zelibor, CEO Space Foundation said: "Virgin Galactic and TSC's commitment to public access to space is an example to all of us of how vision, hard work and resilience enable great opportunity. They've created an inspiring environment for engineers and innovators to follow and the Space Foundation is honored to recognize their leadership with its annual Space Achievement Award."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfeyItJzmQg

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 1 ч. назад

Those Commercial Astronaut Wings sure look good on the crew from our second spaceflight.

[tnt22]

Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 18 апр.

Ever wondered what Commercial Astronaut Wings looks like up close?

[tnt22]

Virgin Galactic‏Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 16 мин. назад

New Mexico will be one of the very few places on the planet which will be hosting human spaceflight launches. We are initiating the move of our spaceship and operations team to New Mexico's @Spaceport_NM.
https://virg.in/UEi 


Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 14 мин. назад

VMS Eve and VSS Unity will head to Spaceport America soon, after additional outfitting of the cabin, according to @gtwhitesides In the "final stretch" of flight testing.

[tnt22]

Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 7 мин. назад

ARTICLE:
Virgin Galactic to move into Spaceport America for spaceport operations -
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/05/virgin-galactic-spaceport-america-spaceport-operations/ ...

Спойлер

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/sir-richard-branson-announces-virgin-galactic-move-to-spaceport-america-this-summer-as-company-readies-for-commercial-service/

MAY 10, 2019

[SIZE=8]Sir Richard Branson Announces Virgin Galactic Move to Spaceport America this Summer, as Company Readies for Commercial Service[/SIZE]

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA (10th May 2019): At a press conference today at the New Mexico State Capitol Building in Santa Fe, hosted by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson announced that Virgin Galactic's development and testing program had advanced sufficiently to move the spaceline staff and space vehicles fr om Mojave, California to their commercial operations headquarters at Spaceport America, New Mexico. The move, which involves more than 100 staff, will commence immediately and continue through the summer, to minimise schooling disruption for families.

Virgin Galactic partnered with New Mexico in an agreement which saw the state complete construction of Spaceport America, the world's first, purpose-built commercial spaceport, and Virgin Galactic committing to center its commercial spaceflight activities at the facilities once its vehicles and operations were ready for service.

This announcement signals the final countdown to a regular commercial spaceflight service for paying passengers and science research fr om Spaceport America. It follows the great progress in operational readiness at Spaceport, including the completion of the hanger, offices, fuel farm, warehouse and antenna for telemetry and communications, as well as interior fit-out. It also positions New Mexico on the frontline of technological innovation and, as one of the very few places on Earth that plays host to regular human spaceflight launches, a magnet for inward investment.

Virgin Galactic will reposition its space system consisting of carrier aircraft VMS Eve and spaceship VSS Unity from Mojave, California to Spaceport America over the summer months once cabin interior and other work has been completed by Virgin Galactic's sister manufacturing organisation, The Spaceship Company (TSC). It will complete its final test flights from New Mexico for commencing a full commercial service for passengers and research payload. TSC will remain based in Mojave wh ere it will continue building Virgin Galactic's planned fleet of SpaceShipTwo and carrier aircraft WhiteKnightTwo vehicles.

Спойлер

Commenting on the announcement, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said: "Virgin Galactic's announcement today is an incredibly exciting development for both our state's economic future and the future of aerospace in general. With these workers here and with these plans firmly in place, I'm certain New Mexico will serve as the launchpad for the rapid industry growth we've been expecting for so many years. Today marks the beginning of the next chapter of aerospace in New Mexico."

Sir Richard Branson said: "Our Virgin Galactic adventure has been intertwined with New Mexico and Spaceport America right from the start and our stories have unfolded together. New Mexico delivered on its promise to build a world-first and world-class spaceport. Today, I could not be more excited to announce, that in return, we are now ready to bring New Mexico a world-first, world-class spaceline. Virgin Galactic is coming home to New Mexico wh ere together we will open space to change the world for good."

George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company said: "The first photograph of Earth from space was taken over New Mexico in October of 1946. How inspiring and appropriate that the state will soon host the first regular commercial spaceflight service, which will enable thousands of people to see Earth from space with their own eyes. We are deeply grateful to the citizens and leadership of New Mexico for having the vision to create a better future for their children and all of humanity."

Dan Hicks, CEO of Spaceport America added, "Going to space and exploring the universe is a team effort. It takes strong partnerships that are courageous and also vulnerable. Sir Richard's visionary leadership to take meaningful risks along with New Mexico leadership's far-sighted commitment – epitomizes the successful partnerships that are truly needed for the space industry. I and the rest of the Spaceport America staff are extremely excited to support Virgin Galactic's continued growth and future success here in New Mexico."

[свернуть]

ENDS

[tnt22]

https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/05/10/virgin-galactic-to-move-remaining-spaceshiptwo-test-flights-to-new-mexico/

Virgin Galactic to move remaining SpaceShipTwo test flights to New Mexico
May 10, 2019 | Stephen Clark


Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo carrier jet, which hoists the company's rocket plane aloft, pictured at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Credit: Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic will conduct the remaining test flights for the company's SpaceShipTwo suborbital rocket plane fr om southern New Mexico after moving staff and equipment fr om California over the next few months, officials announced Friday.

Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, announced the move Friday in an event with New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in Santa Fe.

After completing two test flights to an altitude more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) in December and in February, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo vehicle, its carrier aircraft, pilots and support staff will relocate to Spaceport America in southern New Mexico this summer, officials said.

"Our Virgin Galactic adventure has been intertwined with New Mexico and Spaceport America right from the start, and our stories have unfolded together," Branson said.

Spaceport America was built with more than $200 million in taxpayer funding, and the facility opened in 2011. But the spaceport sat mostly vacant due to delays in the development of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, including a fatal crash in 2014 that set the program back more than three years.

But Virgin Galactic officials said Friday that now is the right time to move the company's flight program from Mojave Air and Space Port in California, the staging base for all of the SpaceShipTwo flights to date, to Spaceport America, located about 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Las Cruces.

"Virgin Galactic is coming home to New Mexico, and it's coming home now," Branson said.

"With today's announcement, New Mexico will become the first place on this beautiful planet of our's to regularly launch humans into space," Branson said. "Rarer still, is that those launches will be conducted by a private company."

Спойлер

Spaceport America was built in a remote part of southern New Mexico, around 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Las Cruces. Credit: Virgin Galactic

George Whitesides, Virgin Galactic's CEO, said the company will add about 100 jobs in New Mexico, including pilots, mechanics, engineers and hospitality hosts. The company currently has around 45 employees in New Mexico.

"With Virgin Galactic's investment and presence here, we are now first not just in the country for this effort, but we are first in the world," Gov. Lujan Grisham said.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo vehicle is designed to drop from the belly of a purpose-built carrier jet, called WhiteKnightTwo, and fire a hybrid rocket motor to reach an altitude of more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) into the airless environment at the edge of space, giving passengers a few minutes of weightlessness before descending back to Earth.

With room for two pilots and up to six passengers, the reusable SpaceShipTwo rocket plane returns to a landing on the same runway from which it departed.

The VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic's only space vehicle currently flying, completed two test flights above 50 miles Dec. 13 and Feb. 22. Two test pilots helmed the rocket plane on the December test flight, and another Virgin Galactic employee, astronaut trainer Beth Moses, rode in the passenger cabin in February to evaluate the experience for future commercial space tourists.

Whitesides said the Feb. 22 flight was a "huge step forward for the company."

"This step has given us the confidence that it's the right time to move the spaceship," Whitesides said in remarks Friday in Santa Fe.


SpaceShipTwo fires its rocket motor during its Feb. 22 test flight. Credit: Virgin Galactic / MarsScientific.com / Trumbull Studios

"We have a bit more of our flight test program to do, which will complete in New Mexico," he said. "At that point, we will be in a place wh ere we'll be able to start commercial operations."

While Spaceport America officially opened in 2011, workers continue with final outfitting of Virgin Galactic's training facilities, wh ere space tourists will prepare for their flights at Spaceport America, Whitesides said.

"After many years of work, the other side of the foundation, our ground operations, are at the point that we feel confident in moving the vehicles," Whitesides said. "So this summer, we will reposition our space system, consisting of a carrier aircraft, VMS Eve ... and spaceship, VSS Unity, from Mojave, California, to Spaceport America."

Moving employees to New Mexico over the summer will minimize family disruptions, especially for children in school, Whitesides said.

The carrier aircraft and spaceship will fly to New Mexico once ground teams at The Spaceship Company, Virgin Galactic's sister company, complete work on VSS Unity's cabin interior, according to Whitesides.

The Spaceship Company will remain based at Mojave to build a fleet of carrier jets and SpaceShipTwo vehicles for Virgin Galactic's fleet.

Whitesides said Virgin Galactic is in the "final stretch" of the flight test program for SpaceShipTwo.

"Before commercial operations begin, we will need to finish evaluation of the new outfitted cabin, the experience and the training program for our future astronaut customers," Whitesides said. "That's work we still have to go."


Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, Richard Branson and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-New Mexico, during Friday's announcement in Santa Fe. Credit: Virgin Galactic

More than 600 people from more than 50 countries have paid deposits to fly on SpaceShipTwo, a trip that Virgin Galactic sells for $250,000.

Branson himself plans to ride on a SpaceShipTwo flight. In February, he said he hoped to be able to fly by July 20, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

"My own very first flight will not take place until we've settled in New Mexico," Branson said. "But for once, I'm happy to wait because flying from Spaceport America is important to me, as it is, I think, to the people of New Mexico, who made all of this possible."

[свернуть]

[tnt22]

 Virgin Galactic‏ Подлинная учетная запись @virgingalactic 28 мин. назад
Major milestone coming up: next week we're relocating our carrier aircraft, WhiteKnightTwo, to her new home at @Spaceport_NM. She will be the first of our flight vehicles to relocate to the "Land of Enchantment."