Virgin Galactic has revealed its new SpaceShipTwo at a hanger in the Mojave Air & Space Port in California. The new SpaceShipTwo replaces the rocket ship that broke apart over the Mojave Desert almost 16 months ago, killing 1 of its 2 pilots. SpaceShipTwo is the first unit to be built by Virgin Galactic’s manufacturing arm the Spaceship Company. The test campaign for the ship’s flight pressure, electrical systems, and rocket motor system is currently underway. Once complete, the testing will move on to glide testing, and then rocket powered testing.
Virgin Galactic Market Potential
The spaceships potential is targeted at the perceived space tourism industry. Passengers are expected to pay up to $250,000 or more to for a short trip in and out of outer space. Richard Branson’s company was the leader in opening up space tourism, but since the crash of the previous SpaceShip, competitors have been gaining ground. The competition includes Hawthorne, California based SpaceX and Blue Origin. SpaceX is controlled by Elon Musk of Tesla, and Blue Origin is controlled by Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos. Blue Origin launched its New Shepard vehicle into space at an altitude of 329,839 feet before it touched back down successfully at its launch site in Texas. SpaceX has also launched 11 satellites into orbit, with its first stage rocket booster touching back down at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Here is a link to the new SpaceShipTwo rollout video:
Image from www.virgingalactic.com