Hot on the heels of a “cold-flow” engine test earlier this month, Virgin Galactic has hit another major milestone with the first in-air testing of their rocket engine in flight.
SpaceShipTwo took to the air early Monday Morning and for the first time fully powered up its rocket engine for the first time in the air, exceeding the speed of sound. After a successful test, SpaceShipTwo landed back at the Mojave Air and Space Port a mere thirty minutes later. Virgin Galactic called the test “a triumphant day in the sky” on Twitter, and we can’t disagree.
“The first powered flight of Virgin Spaceship Enterprise was without any doubt, our single most important flight test to date,” said Virgin Galactic Founder Sir Richard Branson. “For the first time, we were able to prove the key components of the system, fully integrated and in flight. Today’s supersonic success opens the way for a rapid expansion of the spaceship’s powered flight envelope, with a very realistic goal of full space flight by the year’s end. We saw history in the making today and I couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved.”
It’s a beautiful day for a flight. twitter.com/virgingalactic…
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) April 29, 2013
“Upon reaching 46,000 feet altitude and approximately 45 minutes into the flight, SS2 was released from WK2. After cross-checking data and verifying stable control, the pilots triggered ignition of the rocket motor, causing the main oxidizer valve to open and igniters to fire within the fuel case. At this point, SS2 was propelled forward and upward to a maximum altitude of 56,000 feet. The entire engine burn lasted 16 seconds, as planned. During this time, SS2 went supersonic, achieving Mach 1.2,” Virgin Galactic said via press release.
“The rocket motor ignition went as planned, with the expected burn duration, good engine performance and solid vehicle handling qualities throughout,” said Virgin Galactic President & CEO George Whitesides. “The successful outcome of this test marks a pivotal point for our program. We will now embark on a handful of similar powered flight tests, and then make our first test flight to space.”
Virgin Galactic has been paving the way since 2005 for manned space flights for the ordinary person, so long as they happen to have $200,000 in their wallet. If you happen to be such a person, why not book a flight right now? Don’t forget to send us some pictures when you get back!
UPDATE: 1:20pm- Video from the test
