This morning Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, successfully had SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity reach space and return safely.
MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA — Virgin Galactic has achieved a long-planned milestone this morning in the successful flight to space and return. The craft, SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity, was partnered with a mother craft, WhiteKnightTwo, from takeoff till release sometime after the pair reached 43,000ft. After a clean separation, SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity flew freely and on its own, moving past 250,000ft and reaching space, then returning safely to Earth.
Some figures to note:
- maximum height reached: 271,268ft (51.4m, 82.7km)
- notable speed: 2.9 Mach (2.9 times the speed of sound)
For more official information about preparations and direct reports from the flight, please see the launch news site on Virgin Galactic.
