Virgin Galactic again delays SpaceShipTwo flights
Posted: Fri, Feb 26, 2021, 10:08 AM ET (1508 GMT)
Virgin Galactic won't start regularly flying space tourists until early next year because of delays in its test program. The company said Thursday that it has postponed its next SpaceShipTwo test flight to May to correct electromagnetic interference issues. That interference was the likely cause of an aborted test flight in December. Virgin plans to perform two more test flights in the summer, and then a commercial flight carrying payloads and personnel for the Italian Air Force. Virgin expects to begin test flights of its next suborbital vehicle, called SpaceShip III, this summer. However, the company will pause tests of both the current and new vehicles late this year to perform work on the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft, pushing out the start of tourist flights to early 2022.
Virgin Galactic won't start regularly flying space tourists until early next year because of delays in its test program. The company said Thursday that it has postponed its next SpaceShipTwo test flight to May to correct electromagnetic interference issues. That interference was the likely cause of an aborted test flight in December. Virgin plans to perform two more test flights in the summer, and then a commercial flight carrying payloads and personnel for the Italian Air Force. Virgin expects to begin test flights of its next suborbital vehicle, called SpaceShip III, this summer. However, the company will pause tests of both the current and new vehicles late this year to perform work on the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft, pushing out the start of tourist flights to early 2022.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
NASA releases report on Starliner crewed test flight problems
Posted: Sun, Feb 22 11:45 AM ET (1645 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, February 23
The space race is being rewritten by AI – and Europe risks falling behind
EU-Startups — 5:38 am ET (1038 GMT) Space Solar Power Will Inevitably Trump Trump’s War On Solar Power
CleanTechnica — 5:34 am ET (1034 GMT) Foushee outlines space policy at Duke amid competitive primary election
Duke Univ. Chronicle — 5:32 am ET (1032 GMT) How the free market can free NASA from the Space Launch System
The Hill — 5:28 am ET (1028 GMT) ESA Awards Contracts for Lunar Remote Camp Studies
European Spaceflight — 5:26 am ET (1026 GMT) |
