Virgin Galactic: "VSS Unity" makes it into space

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The »VSS Unity« starts its propulsion after it has been disconnected from the carrier aircraft

Photo: Uncredited / dpa

The VSS Unity rocket aircraft from Richard Branson's space company Virgin Galactic successfully completed a manned space test flight on Saturday (local time).

The capsule, manned by two pilots, was launched on board a carrier aircraft from the commercial spaceport Spaceport America in the US state of New Mexico.

The mother ship, the “VMS Eve”, the “VSS Unity” disconnected at a height of almost 14 kilometers.

The space capsule then accelerated for 60 seconds with its rocket engine and briefly continued its flight at three times the speed of sound (Mach 3).

She reached the apex of her trajectory at an altitude of 89.2 kilometers, as Virgin Galactic later announced.

"Welcome to space," wrote Virgin Galactic on Twitter during the event, before the spaceplane returned to Earth and landed safely at the spaceport.

The carrier aircraft also returned unscathed.

The British billionaire and adventurer Richard Branson, who wants to offer commercial space flights with his company Virgin Galactic, followed the test flight on site.

It was the company's third successful flight into space since 2018 - and the first from the new location in New Mexico.

"We have now flown seven people into space and continue our mission to open up space for everyone," wrote Branson on Twitter.

During a test flight last December, the rocket engine did not work as planned.

"VSS Unity" landed back on earth immediately after separating from the mother ship, without having first reached space.

Branson's private space program suffered the worst setback in November 2014 when the previous model “SpaceShipTwo” crashed on a test flight over California and a pilot was killed in the process.

Too early use of the descent program was identified as a possible cause of the crash.

The company plans to conduct another three test flights this year.

Branson himself wants to take part in one of them.

The 18-meter-long “VSS Unity” capsule offers space for two pilots and six passengers, and from 2022 it is expected to take tourists into space.

In total, more than 600 people are said to have bought one of the tickets, which cost around $ 250,000 (about 205,000 euros), including celebrities.

mak / dpa