Virgin Galactic space shot

Virgin Galactic is to take its first trip to the edge of space, a major step toward the long-awaited dream of commercial space tourism

MISSION PROFILE
White Knight Two mothership
SpaceShipTwo at altitude of 13,100m

1Air launch: White Knight Two releases

2Boost: SpaceShipTwo’s rocket burns for about 50 seconds at three times speed of sound

3Apogee: Craft expected to reach altitude of 80km

Wings “feathered” to slow descent

4Descent: Wings return to original position to allow craft to glide

5 Landing: Craft returns to Mojave Air and Space Port

“Feathering”: Twin tails rotate upward to increase drag and control re-entry of vehicle

SpaceShipTwo (VSS Unity) Length 18.3m Wingspan 8.2m Pilots 2

On commercial flights, six passengers per trip will experience five minutes of weightlessness



Sources: Virgin Galactic, AP, SpaceNews Picture: NASA © GRAPHIC NEWS