Virgin Galactic tourism rocket ship reaches space for first time
- Life
- AP
- Published Date: 12:00 | 14 December 2018
- Modified Date: 02:47 | 14 December 2018
Whitesides said a review of the flight's data will last into the new year, and there will be more test flights. He wouldn't estimate when commercial passenger trips might begin.
"This is a huge step forward and once we look at the data we'll see what that pathway is," he said.
At the start of the test flight, a special jet carrying the Virgin Space Ship Unity flew to an altitude near 43,000 feet (13,100 meters) before releasing the craft. The spaceship ignited its rocket engine and it quickly hurtled upward and out of sight of viewers on the ground. The spaceship reached Mach 2.9, nearly three times the speed of sound.
The two test pilots — Mark "Forger" Stucky and former NASA astronaut Rick "CJ" Sturckow — will be awarded commercial astronaut wings, said Federal Aviation Administration official Bailey Edwards.
"It was a great flight and I can't wait to do it again," said Sturckow, who flew on the space shuttle four times.