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The private spaceflight company Virgin Galactic scored another successful drop test of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spacecraft today, the latest in a series of smooth solo glides over the California desert for the commercial spaceship.
SpaceShipTwo, designed and built by the Mojave-based company Scaled Composites, was released from its huge mothership a little after 8 a.m. local time today (Jan. 13) and soared in glide mode back to Earth to a runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The high-altitude flight did not reach space, but was the fourth in a series of demonstration flights ahead of an actual suborbital spaceflight test.
"We had another great flight today, piloted by Mark Stucky and co-pilot Clint Nichols a good start for what will be a busy year of flight tests," said George Whitesides, CEO and president of Virgin Galactic.
Whitesides told SPACE.com that as part of the test objectives, the pilots vented some water just before coming in to land, which produced a visible contrail.
The first SpaceShipTwo vehicle – dubbed the VSS Enterprise – was carried high above the spaceport and then released by its mothership, the WhiteKnightTwo.
"Went great," said Burt Rutan, the founder of Scaled Composites in a short but sweet e-mail to SPACE.com.
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SpaceShipTwo, designed and built by the Mojave-based company Scaled Composites, was released from its huge mothership a little after 8 a.m. local time today (Jan. 13) and soared in glide mode back to Earth to a runway at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The high-altitude flight did not reach space, but was the fourth in a series of demonstration flights ahead of an actual suborbital spaceflight test.
"We had another great flight today, piloted by Mark Stucky and co-pilot Clint Nichols a good start for what will be a busy year of flight tests," said George Whitesides, CEO and president of Virgin Galactic.
Whitesides told SPACE.com that as part of the test objectives, the pilots vented some water just before coming in to land, which produced a visible contrail.
The first SpaceShipTwo vehicle – dubbed the VSS Enterprise – was carried high above the spaceport and then released by its mothership, the WhiteKnightTwo.
"Went great," said Burt Rutan, the founder of Scaled Composites in a short but sweet e-mail to SPACE.com.
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Flight: 47 / GF04
Date: 13 Jan 11 Flight Time: 11 min, 34 sec
SS2 Pilot: Stucky SS2 CoPilot: Nichols
GS Crew: Binnie, Kalogiannis, Verderame, Maisler, Persall, Bassett, Zeitlin, Reid, Tighe, Inks
Objectives:
Clean release
Evaluate stability and control
Stall expansion
Continued flutter envelope expansion
Aft CG expansion with water ballast tank
Window heater evaluation
Pilot proficiency
Results:
All objectives achieved. Stall at aft CG. Evaluated flutter modifications to 250 KEAS. Envelope expanded to 3.8 g's. As part of the test objectives, the SS2 pilots vented water ballast just before coming in to land, which produced a visible contrail.
Date: 13 Jan 11 Flight Time: 11 min, 34 sec
SS2 Pilot: Stucky SS2 CoPilot: Nichols
GS Crew: Binnie, Kalogiannis, Verderame, Maisler, Persall, Bassett, Zeitlin, Reid, Tighe, Inks
Objectives:
Clean release
Evaluate stability and control
Stall expansion
Continued flutter envelope expansion
Aft CG expansion with water ballast tank
Window heater evaluation
Pilot proficiency
Results:
All objectives achieved. Stall at aft CG. Evaluated flutter modifications to 250 KEAS. Envelope expanded to 3.8 g's. As part of the test objectives, the SS2 pilots vented water ballast just before coming in to land, which produced a visible contrail.