Saturday, January 11, 2014

SpaceShipTwo Goes Supersonic For The Third Time...

An onboard camera shot of SpaceShipTwo (SS2) as she soared 71,000 feet above California's Mojave Desert during SS2's third powered flight on January 10, 2014.
Virgin Galactic

Yesterday, the VSS Enterprise (a.k.a. SpaceShipTwo, or SS2) once again rocketed to new heights as her RocketMotorTwo engine brought the ship to an altitude of 71,000 feet above California's Mojave Desert. Along with setting a new altitude record for SS2 (she previously reached 69,000 feet last September), RM2 also set a new top speed for the craft as the Enterprise cruised at Mach 1.4 on Friday. While Virgin Galactic is aiming for the end of this year to begin sending paying passengers more than 60 miles above the Earth aboard SS2, it has not yet been disclosed as to when Enterprise will finally aim for the threshold of space during its flight test program. Cross our fingers that it will be soon.

SS2 drops away from her mothership, White Knight II, prior to SS2's third powered flight above California's Mojave Desert on January 10, 2014.
Virgin Galactic

SS2 fires her RocketMotorTwo (RM2) engine to begin a third powered flight above California's Mojave Desert on January 10, 2014.
Virgin Galactic

As seen from aboard White Knight II, SS2 embarks on her third powered flight above California's Mojave Desert on January 10, 2014.
Virgin Galactic

An onboard camera shot of SS2 as she soared 71,000 feet above California's Mojave Desert during SS2's third powered flight on January 10, 2014.
Virgin Galactic

An onboard camera shot of SS2 after her RM2 engine shut down...concluding a third successful powered flight above California's Mojave Desert on January 10, 2014.
Virgin Galactic

SS2 adjusts her feathered reentry system as she prepares to return to the Mojave Air and Spaceport following a third successful powered flight on January 10, 2014.
Virgin Galactic

SS2 is towed down the tarmac after safely returning to the Mojave Air and Spaceport, following a third successful powered flight on January 10, 2014.
Virgin Galactic
Posted by Richard Par at 10:21 AM
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