All NASA centers and major organizations are required to produce plans to implement the Unity Campaign by October.
VSS Unity reached speeds of up to Mach 0.85 during its 2020-06-25 descent.
The 2020-06-25 glide flight was VSS Unity’s second free flight at Spaceport America following a glide flight on 2020-05-01.
WhiteKnightTwo carried the VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo and took off shortly before 11 a.m. Eastern from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico.
Virgin Galactic plans to move VSS Unity to Spaceport America in New Mexico early in 2020 for a final series of test flights.
After VSS Unity’s February 2019 test flight, Virgin Galactic planned to outfit the spacecraft’s cabin for commercial flights and make other upgrades.
In October 2019 Virgin Galactic projected that the move of VSS Unity to Spaceport America would take place in late 2019.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane VSS Unity has performed five powered flights, including two that flew beyond the 50-mile boundary used by U.S. government agencies to award astronaut wings.
The rocket motor on display powered VSS Unity on its second partial-duration powered flight in May 2018, achieving an altitude of 34,900 m and a speed of Mach 1.9.
VSS Unity reached an altitude of 89.9 km and a top speed of Mach 3 on the 2019-02-22 flight.
VSS Unity was released from its WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft at 11:53 a.m. Eastern after taking off from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
VSS Unity will take off from the Mojave Air and Space Port around 7 a.m. local time (10 a.m. Eastern time), weather permitting.
During the 2019-02-20 test flight Virgin Galactic plans to intentionally offset VSS Unity’s center of gravity left and right to assess handling.
The Air Force recommended in a September memo that the next director of the National Reconnaissance Office also serve as the director of the Air Force Space Rapid Capabilities Office to establish unity of command and reduce duplication in space programs.
Patrick Shanahan directed in a 2018-09-10 memo that the Working Group for Space Force Implementation should meet at least weekly to ensure strong coordination and unity of effort.
Only two FAA commercial astronaut wings had been awarded prior to the VSS Unity flight, to Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie for their 2004 SpaceShipOne suborbital flights.
Virgin Galactic’s second SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, reached a peak altitude of 82.7 km on its 2018-12-13 test flight over the Mojave Air and Space Port.
The 2018-12-13 VSS Unity flight did not reach the 100-kilometer Karman Line widely used as the demarcation of space.
The 2018-12-13 VSS Unity flight exceeded the 50-mile boundary used by U.S. government agencies to award astronaut wings.
The 2018-12-13 flight of VSS Unity crossed the 50-mile (approximately 80-kilometer) boundary used by U.S. government agencies to award astronaut wings.