VSS Unity carried four technology demonstration payloads provided by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program on the 2018-12-13 flight.
Virgin Galactic completed its first revenue-generating flight with the 2018-12-13 mission of VSS Unity.
SpaceShipTwo vehicle VSS Unity reached a peak altitude of 82.7 km on the 2018-12-13 test flight.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo vehicle VSS Unity performed its highest test flight to date on 2018-12-13, reaching a peak altitude of 83 km.
The 83-kilometer peak altitude of VSS Unity exceeds the 50-mile (approximately 80-kilometer) boundary used by U.S. government agencies for awarding astronaut wings.
VSS Unity reached a top speed of Mach 2.9 during the 2018-12-13 flight.
The powered test flight window for VSS Unity opens on 2018-12-13 and the airspace restriction window in the vicinity of the Mojave Air and Space Port runs 2018-12-13 through 15 for rocket launch and recovery.
VSS Unity has been performing a series of powered test flights, most recently on 2018-07-26.
VSS Unity separated from its WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft at approximately 12:45 p.m. Eastern after taking off from Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
VSS Unity achieved a peak altitude of 52 km during the 2018-07-26 flight.
VSS Unity reached a top speed of Mach 2.47 during ascent on the 2018-07-26 flight.
VSS Unity completed its third powered test flight on 2018-07-26.
VSS Unity reached a top speed of Mach 1.7 during reentry on the 2018-07-26 flight.
VSS Unity took off attached to its WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft at about 11:40 a.m. Eastern from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane VSS Unity performed a successful test flight on 2018-05-29.
VSS Unity glided to a runway landing in Mojave about 10 minutes after reaching peak altitude on the 2018-05-29 flight.
VSS Unity reached a top speed of Mach 1.9 and an altitude of 34,900 m on the 2018-05-29 flight, both records for the SpaceShipTwo test flight program.