News Archive / Tagged: VSS Unity

• Richard Branson rides Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo into space

  Theresa CrossJuly 11th, 2021

  Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo suborbital spacecraft took its first full crew, which included the company's billionaire founder Richard Branson, on a brief foray into space.

• Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo reaches space from New Mexico

  Theresa CrossMay 24th, 2021

  On May 22, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo completed its third crewed test flight from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The first-ever spaceflight from New Mexico for the company also represents the third state to date launching humans to space.

• SpaceShipTwo flies to space with 1st ‘test’ passenger

  Derek RichardsonFebruary 22nd, 2019

  Three new people are set to get their astronaut wings as Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo performed a second flight into space on a suborbital trajectory.

• Virgin Galactic has two freshly-minted astronauts

  Jason RhianFebruary 11th, 2019

  The private space industry chalked up yet another win with the announcement that a recent SpaceShipTwo test flight earned two pilots their astronaut wings.

• VSS Unity conducts test flight that nearly reaches space

  Jason RhianDecember 13th, 2018

  Virgin Galactic's program designed to kick off space tourism has just reached another milestone with a flight that almost reached the edge of space. 

• Gallery: Thursday’s rocket-powered flight sees VSS Unity break Mach 2

  Jason RhianJuly 27th, 2018

  MOJAVE, Calif. -- In a span of less than four months, Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity has carried out three "rocket-powered" supersonic flights. The most recent test took place on Thursday, July 26, 2018. 

• Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity makes second powered flight

  Joe LatrellMay 29th, 2018

  Within less than two months, The SpaceShip Company has conducted a second test flight of the VSS Unity. This signals an increase in testing as the NewSpace company prepares for its first commercial flights.

• VSS Unity conducts first powered flight

  Jason RhianApril 5th, 2018

  The SpaceShip Company, using its VSS Unity spacecraft, successfully completed the vehicle's first supersonic, rocket-powered test flight on Thursday, April 5. Piloted by Mark “Forger” Stucky and Dave Mackay, today's flight marked the first flight since the October 31, 2014 accident that saw the loss of the VSS Enterprise.

• SpaceShipTwo conducts successful test flight

  Paul KnightlyJanuary 13th, 2018

  Virgin Galactic conducted a successful test flight of the SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity vehicle on Thursday, Jan. 11. The high-speed glide test marks the seventh for VSS Unity, which reached a top speed of Mach 0.9 during the flight.

• Virgin Galactic VSS Unity passes feather test

  Bart LeahyMay 2nd, 2017

  After successfully completing three glide-and-land tests at Mojave Air and Spaceport, Virgin Galactic conducted its first test of the “feather” mechanism on its second SpaceShipTwo (SS2) suborbital tourism spacecraft.

• Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo successfully completes first glide flight

  Curt GodwinDecember 4th, 2016

  Fresh off the completion of its successful captive carry flight just a few days prior, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo (SS2), christened VSS Unity, took the next step in its flight certification regime by completing its first solo glide flight on Dec. 3, 2016.

• Virgin Galactic conducts captive carry flight of SpaceShipTwo

  Jim SharkeyDecember 1st, 2016

  On Wednesday, Nov. 30, Virgin Galactic conducted the fourth test flight of its SpaceShipTwo rocket plane VSS Unity. The carrier aircraft, WhiteKnightTwo VMS Eve, took off with VSS Unity from the runway of Mojave Air and Spaceport at 2:07 p.m. PST (22:07 GMT).

• Video: The first captive carry test of VSS Unity

  Derek RichardsonSeptember 23rd, 2016

  Virgin Galactic recently released a video discussing the path traveled in getting VSS Unity ready for flight testing. This video, titled "Elevating Unity – Episode 1: Captive Carry", showcases The Spaceship Company and Virgin Galactic preparing for and conducting the first captive carry test the vehicle.

• Virgin Galactic’s Unity makes successful test run

  Larry KlaesSeptember 9th, 2016

  Virgin Galactic, the commercial space wing of Virgin Group, Ltd., has begun its recovery from a fatal flight accident, nearly two years ago, with the successful first test flight of its newest SpaceShipTwo class spaceplane, the Virgin Space Ship (VSS) Unity, on Thursday, Sept. 8, above the Mojave Desert in California.

• Virgin Galactic receives SpaceShipTwo operator license, starts taxi tests

  Derek RichardsonAugust 1st, 2016

  Virgin Galactic has conducted its first taxi test with the SpaceShipTwo known as VSS Unity. Combined with the recently awarded operator license by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA-AST), the space tourism company is gearing up for a series of ground and flight evaluations.