Virgin Galactic is to make its first rocket-powered test flights for its commercials passenger spaceship later this year after being granted clearance.
Virgin Galactic is to make its first rocket-powered test flights for its commercials passenger 7:17AM BST 31 May 2012Comment Scaled Composites, Virgin Galactic’s spaceship design partner, was granted an experimental permit from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – a move that will allow it to proceed with powered flights.
No timetable has been set for the first launches carrying paying customers, expected to take place after the test programme is complete.
More than 500 people including actor Ashton Kutcher have signed up with Virgin Galactic for a chance to experience weightlessness during suborbital flights.
Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites have been glide-testing their six-passenger vehicle SpaceShipTwo, which is air-launched from a twin-fuselage carrier aeroplane.
Work is under way to integrate the rocket motor into SpaceShipTwo, a commercial six-passenger spacecraft owned by Virgin Galactic, for suborbital test flights following the clearance.
–Agencies