Virgin Galactic's Spaceship Flies On Rocket Power For First Time [Updated With Video]
SpaceShipTwo Rocket Burn SpaceShipTwo's hybrid rocket motor burning, as seen from the spacecraft's boom camera. Virgin GalacticToday's supersonic test flight marks a big milestone for the company -- and suborbital space tourism Spaceliner Virgin Galactic dropped a spaceship into the sky above the Mojave Desert this morning and -- for the first time -- ignited the spacecraft's hybrid rocket engine in midair. Until now, SpaceShipTwo, as the spacecraft is called, has never flown on its own power. The previous 25 test flights involved some variation of towing the craft into the air under a mothership, releasing the spaceship, and having a pilot glide it back to Earth. Rockets are devilishly complex devices that are prone to failure. Igniting one attached to a spacecraft with pilots inside, and having it work as designed, is a major feat. No suborbital space tourism company hoping to launch passengers had achieved this until today. Virgin Galactic announced...