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Footage released of SpaceShipTwo's first 'feathered flight'
Virgin Galactic takes a major leap towards space tourism
Virgin Galactic has released a video of SpaceShipTwo, the world’s first commercial spaceship, dropping nearly vertically from its mother ship in a test flight that took place earlier this month.
The test flight, which deploys a "feather" configuration to ease the craft's re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, brings Virgin Galactic a step closer to taking tourists into outer space. It took place over the Mojave Desert on May 4.
One of the most dangerous aspects of space flight is figuring out a safe way to re-enter the dense atmosphere of Earth from the vacuum of space.
The feather configuration, which takes inspiration from the shuttlecock, has a movable tail structure that rotates upwards to 65 degrees, creating drag that slows down, and stabilizes, the aircraft.
'A test pilot's dream'
The video shows the SpaceShipTwo released from its mother ship VMS Eve at an altitude of 51,500 feet after a 45-minute upwards climb. The SpaceShipTwo’s wings then folded up to a 65-degree bend and held that position for 75 seconds while dropping at around 15,500 feet per minute.
At around 33,500 feet, the aircraft straightened up to its normal shape and landed, like an airplane, at the Mojave Air and Space Port approximately 11 minutes after it was released.
“In all test flight programs, after the training, planning and rehearsing, there comes the moment when you have to go up there and fly it for real,” said Pete Siebold, a co-pilot of the spaceship.
“This morning’s flight was a test pilot’s dream. The spaceship is a joy to fly and the feathered descent portion added a new, unusual but wonderful dynamic to the ride.”
Some 410 people have signed up for Virgin Galactic's space tour package. The starting price for flights on the SpaceShipTwo is US$200,000 with refundable deposits starting from US$20,000. Tickets can be purchased at this link.
No date has been set for the first commercial flight, although news.com.au reported that the company hopes to start taking tourists into space in 2012.
