During the second test flight in a ten-week period, Virgin Galactic announced on February 22 that its commercial SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, reached space for the second time in its five test flights, achieving an apogee distance of 295,007ft and a speed of M3.04, beating both records from its previous flight into space. This was also the first time a test flight carried three crew members, while the spaceship carried research payloads from the NASA Flight Opportunities program.
According to the Virgin Galactic press release: “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
Commenting on the successful event, 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.”
