MOJAVE — On its second flight to space Friday, SpaceShipTwo not only went higher and faster, but for the first time it also brought along a passenger in the cabin.
Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic’s Chief Astronaut Instructor, served as passenger specialist during the successful flight from the Mojave Air and Space Port, the first time anyone other than the pilot and copilot has flown.
“In essence, today we are starting to train the trainer,” The Spaceship Company President Enrico Palermo said.
Friday’s test flight, the fifth powered flight of Virgin Galactic’s spaceplane dubbed “Unity,” exceeded the craft’s inaugural spaceflight on Dec. 13, reaching 295,007 feet altitude (55.87 miles or 89.9 kilometers) and Mach 3.04 in the rocket boost phase.
During the previous flight, SpaceShipTwo climbed to 271,268 feet altitude, or 51.4 miles, and reached speeds of Mach 2.9.
“We’re just so proud to have gotten to this point in the program,” Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said. “Each step we have to expand the envelope, do something more. We could not be more proud of you guys for what you did today.”
The flight minted three new commercial astronauts who crossed the 50-mile boundary the Federal Aviation Administration uses to define space: Virgin Galactic Chief Pilot Dave Mackay, copilot Mike Masucci, and Moses.
“It was a wonderful flight,” Mackay said, adding it flew much better than the simulator. “For me, my family, this is kind of the end of a long journey, both literally and metaphorically.”
Masucci called the flight “priceless,” reminded by Mackay that he said during an earlier flight to 170,000 feet it was a “million dollar view.”
“It really is unbelievable how quiet it was at apogee,” Masucci said. “Look outside, you can see well past Baja and when we flipped around inverted you can see past San Francisco Bay.
“It was literally out of this world.”
Moses, obviously excited following the flight, called the experience “intense and beautiful and indescribable.”
“That is an indescribable ride,” she said.
Moses’ role during Friday’s flight was to begin testing the passenger experience and interior of the spacecraft. As such, she climbed out of the seat while the craft was at its highest point and experienced microgravity before strapping back in for the return, a process future passengers also will undergo.
On previous flights, Virgin Galactic has flown with test dummies on board to evaluate the seat design and to characterize the cabin environment, Palermo said.
“There’s nothing better than a human to sense the noise, sound, vibration and acceleration” of the flight, he said.
By getting this information early, adjustments may be made as needed to help make the flight as enjoyable as possible for passengers.
Moses’ flight experience also will help direct her astronaut training program, Palermo said.
The test flight was originally scheduled for Wednesday morning, but high winds prevented its launch. Friday’s weather, however, proved to be ideal, with clear skies and hardly a breeze, even if it was quite cold for those observing on the ground.
The spacecraft, mated to the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft, took off just after 8 a.m., taking nearly an hour to climb to the launch point at 44,000 feet altitude over the Antelope Valley. Once released, the rocket motor was lit and SpaceShipTwo pulled up for the near-vertical climb.
Those on the ground could see the rapidly lengthening white plume as SpaceShipTwo rocketed toward space. The trajectory during the rocket boost phase was adjusted based on the results of the previous flight to help gain additional altitude, officials said.
Having reached a top speed of more than three times the speed of sound during the ascent, the spacecraft’s momentum carried it the rest of the way to its maximum altitude, where those on board could see the black sky of space and the curve of the Earth below. The vehicle then returned to a picture-perfect, unpowered landing on the same Mojave Air and Space Port runway from which it took off a little more than an hour earlier.
Among the other firsts for the flight, according to Whitesides: Mackay as the first Scottish-born astronaut, the first three-passenger commercial spaceflight and Moses as the first female commercial astronaut.
True to Mackay’s heritage, he was greeted on the ground by a bagpiper in full regalia, a surprise treat from his Virgin Galactic family.
About a dozen of the more than 600 customers who have purchased tickets for Virgin Galactic’s commercial flights were on hand to witness the test flight.
While Friday’s flight was another important milestone in SpaceShipTwo’s development, Virgin Galactic officials stressed it is still in the flight test phase.
“We still have a long way to go in our testing program. There’s many factors that affect the flight and today we will continue to test those, including the center of gravity,” Palermo said prior to the flight.
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