Preparation is underway for a rocket-powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo Unity from Spaceport America, New Mexico. The flight window will open on Feb 13th with opportunities to fly throughout the month, pending weather conditions and technical readiness.
FEBRUARY 01, 2021Virgin Galactic Flight Test Program UpdateNew Flight Window Set for VSS Unity Rocket-Powered Flight From New MexicoFlight Window Opens on February 13Virgin Galactic today announced the date of its new flight window for a rocket-powered test flight of its SpaceShipTwo Unity.The flight window will open on February 13 with opportunities to fly throughout February, pending good weather conditions and technical readiness. The test flight will be crewed by two pilots and will carry research payloads as part of the NASA Flight Opportunities program.Pre-flight preparations are already underway at Spaceport America, New Mexico, including rigorous steps to prepare the vehicles, pilots, teams and facilities, with safety procedures as a top priority. In addition, the Virgin Galactic Pilot Corps has completed two flights with its mothership, VMS Eve, for routine pilot proficiency training. This training included using the mothership to simulate the glide and approach-to-land phase of flight for SpaceShipTwo, showing the versatility of VMS Eve as more than just a mothership.A key objective of the upcoming flight will be to test the remedial work that has been completed since the December 12, 2020 flight when the onboard computer halted ignition of the rocket motor. The team has since conducted the root cause analysis, completed the corrective work required, and carried out extensive ground testing. The next stage will be to assess and verify this work during a rocket-powered flight.The flight will incorporate all of the original test objectives from the previous test flight, including evaluating elements of the customer cabin, testing the live stream capability from the spaceship to the ground, and assessing the upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls during the boost phase of the flight.Following this flight, and in line with normal procedures, the team will complete an extensive data review, which will inform the next steps in the test flight program.The flight will be conducted by essential personnel only. No media will be onsite, in accordance with Company and state COVID-19 protocols.Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic said: “We are pleased to be able to get back to the skies and continue our flight test program. I would like to thank our team for their continued hard work and diligence in working towards this important milestone for Virgin Galactic.’’
The team has completed pre-flight checks on SpaceShipTwo Unity’s feather ahead of our upcoming flight. The feather gives the vehicle the unique capability to change its shape during flight, to ensure a safe, aerodynamically controlled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
The team has installed the hybrid rocket motor into SpaceShipTwo Unity as part of pre-flight preparations for our flight test window opening this week. Thanks to Senior Propulsion Engineer, and New Mexico native, Rich C De Baca, for the video walkthrough!
Virgin Galactic $SPCE confirmed to CNBC that the company is “making good progress through our flight preparations” toward a launch this weekend, noting that the flight attempt is pending weather and technical readiness:
SpaceShipTwo Unity is mated to our mothership, VMS Eve, as preparations continue for the opening of our flight test window this week. Thanks to Space Wrench, Tramain Coleman, for explaining the process.
The team has loaded three payloads from the @NASA Flight Opportunities Program into SpaceShipTwo Unity’s cabin ahead of our flight-test window opening this week.
Flight test update: We have been progressing through our pre-flight preparations and, during that process, we have decided to allow more time for technical checks. We are working to identify the next flight opportunity.
https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1360193157745491973QuoteFlight test update: We have been progressing through our pre-flight preparations and, during that process, we have decided to allow more time for technical checks. We are working to identify the next flight opportunity.
Virgin Galactic, in its earning release just posted, says it’s now targeting May (!) for its next rocket-powered SpaceShipTwo test flight. (Remember this was going to be earlier this month.)
Continue to prepare for next rocket-powered spaceflight from Spaceport America, targeted for May 2021.
SpaceShipTwo Unity test flight slated for May 22, pending weather, now that a maintenance review of its carrier aircraft VMS Eve is completed
MAY 20, 2021Virgin Galactic Confirms Upcoming Test Flight of VSS Unity in MayVirgin Galactic today confirmed that the next rocket-powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo Unity will be conducted on May 22, pending weather and technical checks. This follows the completion of a maintenance review of VMS Eve, the mothership jet aircraft designed to carry SpaceShipTwo to an altitude of approximately 50,000 feet.“Following a detailed inspection and thorough analysis of our mothership, Eve, we have cleared our Spaceflight System for our upcoming flight. I want to thank our incredibly talented team of engineers, maintenance crew, quality inspectors and support staff for their diligence and hard work, which is testament to our commitment to safety and the integrity of our flight test program,” said Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic.Virgin Galactic regularly monitors its vehicles to verify their condition and inform timing of future upgrades and modifications that can improve performance or reduce future maintenance work. A post-flight inspection of VMS Eve in early May called for further engineering analysis to assess a known maintenance item in the tail of the vehicle, which was scheduled to be addressed during the next maintenance period. This analysis has been completed with the Company determining structures healthy, clearing Eve for flight.The upcoming VSS Unity test flight will be crewed by two pilots and will carry research payloads as part of the NASA Flight Opportunities program. A key objective of the upcoming flight will be to test the remedial work that has been completed on VSS Unity to lower the EMI levels experienced on the December 12, 2020 flight when the onboard computer halted ignition of the rocket motor. The flight will also incorporate all original test objectives, including assessment of the upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls during the boost phase of the flight, evaluating elements of the customer cabin, and testing the live stream capability from the spaceship to the ground.Following this May flight, and in line with normal procedures, the team will complete an extensive data review, which will inform the next steps in the test flight program.
Virgin Galactic is set for another human spaceflight attempt from New Mexico today. The window opens at 8:00 AM MDT (14:00 UTC).Article by @MihirNeal:
