Ferrying VMS Eve to Spaceport America clears the way for initial glide and powered tests of the refurbished SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity over the coming months.
If schedules hold, Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson will fly nine days ahead of fellow billionaire entrepreneur and space buff Jeff Bezos, founder and funder of Blue Origin.
Virgin Galactic said electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues which stalled sub-orbital tests of its SpaceShipTwo Unity have been resolved but added that the spaceplane’s return to flight could be further delayed by a newly discovered maintenance issue on Eve, the company’s WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft.
Virgin Galactic unveiled its next-generation reusable suborbital passenger spaceship on March 30, featuring a new design to enhance operations and a mirror-like exterior that adds thermal protection while setting a new bar for aesthetics.
Virgin Galactic does not expect to resume flight tests of its suborbital passenger vehicle until May due to potential electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues from a new flight control computer, CEO Michael Colglazier said during a Feb. 25 call with investors.
The budding space tourism company's publicly traded shares jumped more than 21% when investors saw a captive-carry transport flight of VSS Unity to its new commercial headquarters at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
This week: Ryanair cleared for Laudamotion deal; JetBlue signs Airbus order; rising fuel costs hit Delta; passenger demand rises in May; executive changes at WestJet; and Boeing's Q2 orders and deliveries.
The Boeing 747-400 entered service with the airline in 2001 and from flying millions of passengers across the Atlantic over its 15 years of commercial service, it will in the future facilitate a new generation of small satellites which will help us in Virgin Galactic’s mission to open space for the benefit of life on Earth.
