Flying out of its new Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert , space exploration company Virgin Galactic conducted its second successful gliding test of Unity, a SpaceShipTwo-class spaceplane on Thursday. The first flight for Unity was on May 1. According to the company, the test involved the huge carrier plane Eve taking off with Unity in tow and releasing it at an altitude of 51,000 feet, after which it glided home, attaining a speed of 650 miles per hour. Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Unity Released From VMS Eve for Second Glide Flight in New Mexico on June 25, 2020 "I am thrilled with the team's hard work to complete today's test flight successfully," Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said in a Thursday statement . "It was an important test that, pending data review, means we can now start preparing the vehicles for powered flight. Our focus for this year remains unchanged on ensuring the vehicles and our operations are prepared for long-term, regular commercial spaceflight service." Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Unity Second Glide Flight over Spaceport America on June 25, 2020 If the test stands up to "an extensive data review," then the company will move on… Read full this story
- Virgin Galactic gets $20 million investment from Boeing as it prepares for IPO before end of the year
- Nasa's giant 'Moon rocket' takes shape
- NASA chief: SpaceX and Boeing have critical tests ahead but could fly astronauts in early 2020
- Elon Musk's Mars rocket takes shape: New photos reveal the clearest look yet at progress on the Starship prototype
- Buzz Aldrin smiles on the moon in fascinating digitally enhanced photo that reveals his face inside his spacesuit during Apollo 11 landing in 1969
- Fortnite season 10 finale will reportedly happen on Oct. 13
- Blue Origin is 'going to the MOON': Jeff Bezos unveils lunar lander at mysterious invite-only event in Washington D.C. and suggests his firm will hit VP Pence's 2024 deadline for putting humans back on the surface
- Is THIS the future of space exploration? NASA reveals four options for its next flagship telescope and is letting astronomers decide which multi-billion pound machine it will build in the 2030s
- 'We didn't succeed in the landing process': Israeli moon-lander sends ominous last selfie before its engine failed and it crashed into the lunar surface
- Europe wants to mine the moon by 2025: European Space Agency reveals plan that could spark a new space race
Photos: Virgin Galactic’s Unity Spacecraft Completes Final Test Before Adding Rocket Power have 398 words, post on sputniknews.com at June 25, 2020. This is cached page on Goose Art. If you want remove this page, please contact us.