VSS Unity goes into the Mesosphere at twice the speed of sound

VSS Unity goes into the Mesosphere at twice the speed of sound

So excited to see our beautiful spaceship VSS Unity back in the air at  Mach 2.47 (almost two and a half times the speed of  sound) as she successfully completed her third rocket powered, supersonic test flight in less than four months.

Behind every test flight lies meticulous preparation and analysis on the ground. I couldn’t be prouder of the teams at Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company, whose hard work and dedication makes every step closer to space possible.

After a clean release from carrier aircraft VMS Eve, pilots Dave Mackay and Mike “Sooch” Masucci lit the spaceship’s rocket motor, before pulling up into a near vertical climb and powering towards the black sky at Mach 2.47. The planned 42 seconds rocket burn took pilots and spaceship through the Stratosphere and, at an apogee of 170,800ft, into the Mesosphere for the first time. This region, often referred to by scientists as the “Ignorosphere”, is an under-studied atmospheric layer because it is above the range of even unmanned balloons, and in the future is an area we can help the research community explore further.

It’s so impressive to see our spaceship breaking her previous records and witness the exciting progress being made with every flight. VSS Unity is the first vehicle built from scratch for Virgin Galactic by The Spaceship Company’s brilliant aerospace engineers and technicians.

I’ve been determined to go into space ever since I was a teenager watching the moon landing and I still have to pinch myself every time Virgin Galactic completes another test flight. I wasn’t on the flight line this time around as Joan and I have had the pleasure of taking our grandchildren Etta and Artie on a holiday without Holly and Freddie. The only thing that would stop me being on the flight line, or in the way of any business, is being with my family, and I think that’s how it should be. Etta said to Holly before we left: “Funny mum. You went on holiday without Artie and me and now we’re going on holiday without you.” And then Artie chimed in: “It’s only fair!” It’s wonderful to see their sense of humour developing – not to sound too much like a grandfather (I’m a grand-dude!), but they grow up so fast!

As we watch the spaceship soar to new heights, it’s incredible to think about the world that they will grow up in. Head over to Virgin Galactic to find out all the details about our latest test flight. A massive well done to our brilliant teams at Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company, and thanks for your incredible support from all around the world.

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