Virgin Galactic’s latest test flight puts it one step closer to commercial space travel
SpaceShipTwo was released from the mothership at 51,000 feet. ( Courtesy Virgin Galactic/)This story originally featured on Flying Magazine.Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo last week completed its second successful test flight from Spaceport America in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, marking another important milestone toward the launch of Virgin Galactic’s commercial service. The company said in a news release that Mark “Forger” Stucky and Michael “Sooch” Masucci, both commercial astronauts, commanded SpaceShipTwo Unity’s flight. The test flight was conducted under a set of stringent operational protocols to ensure safety against COVID-19, including enforced social distancing as advised by state guidelines as well as universal mask usage.SpaceShipTwo’s glide, flown at higher speeds, allowed the team to continue to evaluate systems and vehicle performance in advance of future rocket-powered space flights. Flying VSS Unity in glide configuration at higher speeds enables certain vehicle systems to operate close to the environment seen during phases of...