News Virgin Galactic VSS Unity Completes 3rd Test Flight, Reaching Mach 2.47

Nicholas Kang

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Virgin Galactic test pilots broke Mach 2 this morning, as VSS Unity took her third rocket-powered supersonic outing in less than four months. After a clean release from carrier aircraft VMS Eve at 46,500 ft, 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 2.47 times the speed of sound.

The planned 42 seconds rocket burn took pilots and spaceship through the Stratosphere and, at an apogee of 170,800 ft, 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 balloon flight, and in the future is an area we can help the research community explore further.

[ame="https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1022478797143064577"]Brady Kenniston on Twitter: "SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity & WhiteKnightTwo from @virgingalactic are currently on the ramp preparing for today’s early morning test flight. The views are spectacular!… https://t.co/39ZRLDK4Mw"[/ame]

[ame="https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1022492575750647810"]Virgin Galactic on Twitter: "As on all test flights, Unity’s cabin is equipped to gather vital data. Cabin analysis systems help us understand the environment inside during powered flight, including: temperatures, pressures, humidity, acoustics, thermal response, vibration, acceleration & radiation… https://t.co/DonxNRaLTs"[/ame]

[ame="https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1022510330386165760"]Brady Kenniston on Twitter: ".@virgingalactic’s WhiteKnightTwo has departed KMHV carrying SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity for it’s powered test flight this morning.… https://t.co/RYumpZDrPQ"[/ame]

[ame="https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1022525104776011776"]Brady Kenniston on Twitter: ".@virgingalactic SpaceShipTwo #VSSUnity under powered flight speeding toward the edge of earth’s atmosphere.… "[/ame]

[ame="https://twitter.com/TheFavoritist/status/1022528275342548992"]Brady Kenniston on Twitter: "#VSSUnity from @virgingalactic touches down just minutes after it’s powered flight over Mojave.… "[/ame]

[ame="https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1022546955480653825"]Virgin Galactic on Twitter: "Updated key stats from today's test flight:
Release altitude: 46,500 ft
Burn time: 42 seconds
Boost Mach: 2.47
Apogee: 170,800 ft, 32.3 miles, 52 km
Re-entry Mach: 1.7"[/ame]

[ame="https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1022567679658405888"]Virgin Galactic on Twitter: "Space came one step closer today. First footage is in, check it out! #SpaceShipTwo… "[/ame]

Source: Virgin Galactic, Nasaspaceflight.com
 
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