Space
Virgin Galactic All Set To Begin Spaceship 2 Glide Flights
Meera V Nair
First Posted: Nov 01, 2016 03:59 AM EDT
Virgin Galactic is all set to begin the glide flight tests of its second Spaceship 2 in next week, almost after two years of a deadly test flight of its first suborbital space plane.
According to Space News, CJ Sturckow, test pilot of Virgin Galactic said, "The Company has scheduled the first glide flight of the vehicle, named VSS Unity on November 1." He also added that the flight would come after a single 'captive carry' test flight of the vehicle in September. During this test, the vehicle would remain attached to its WhiteKnight Two carrier aircraft for its entire flight. Sturckow gave these statements during a 'Space Stories' event at the Explorers Club on October 29.
It will be the first time that VSS Unity has flown a glide flight on its own and will also be first in the series of glide flights before Virgin Galactic installs a hybrid rocket motor for powered flight tests. The glide test program will be a short one when compared to the first Spaceship 2 since the second vehicle is similar from an aerodynamics standpoint.
As per a report published in portaltotheuniverse.org, Sturckow said, "We are hoping to spot-check the glide flight envelop and move quickly into the powered flight testing. These powered flight testing can commence only next year."
The hybrid rocket engine of Spaceship 2 has undergone a long and troubled developments several times. Thus, this rocket engine would be available only when the vehicle is ready for those powered flight tests after completing numerous full-duration burns. Sturckow added that he feels good about the rocket motor now.
The first Spaceship 2 met with a disaster killing the vehicle's pilot and co-pilot. A detailed investigation into the disaster concluded that Michael Alsbury, the co-pilot of first Spaceship 2, hastily unlocked the feathering system of the vehicle.
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First Posted: Nov 01, 2016 03:59 AM EDT
Virgin Galactic is all set to begin the glide flight tests of its second Spaceship 2 in next week, almost after two years of a deadly test flight of its first suborbital space plane.
According to Space News, CJ Sturckow, test pilot of Virgin Galactic said, "The Company has scheduled the first glide flight of the vehicle, named VSS Unity on November 1." He also added that the flight would come after a single 'captive carry' test flight of the vehicle in September. During this test, the vehicle would remain attached to its WhiteKnight Two carrier aircraft for its entire flight. Sturckow gave these statements during a 'Space Stories' event at the Explorers Club on October 29.
It will be the first time that VSS Unity has flown a glide flight on its own and will also be first in the series of glide flights before Virgin Galactic installs a hybrid rocket motor for powered flight tests. The glide test program will be a short one when compared to the first Spaceship 2 since the second vehicle is similar from an aerodynamics standpoint.
As per a report published in portaltotheuniverse.org, Sturckow said, "We are hoping to spot-check the glide flight envelop and move quickly into the powered flight testing. These powered flight testing can commence only next year."
The hybrid rocket engine of Spaceship 2 has undergone a long and troubled developments several times. Thus, this rocket engine would be available only when the vehicle is ready for those powered flight tests after completing numerous full-duration burns. Sturckow added that he feels good about the rocket motor now.
The first Spaceship 2 met with a disaster killing the vehicle's pilot and co-pilot. A detailed investigation into the disaster concluded that Michael Alsbury, the co-pilot of first Spaceship 2, hastily unlocked the feathering system of the vehicle.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone