VIRGIN GALACTIC ROCKET

VIRGIN GALACTIC ROCKET

Subject: Science & technology

Context: Virgin Galactic on Saturday made its first rocket-powered flight from New Mexico to the fringe of space in a manned shuttle, as the company forges toward offering tourist flights to the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Concept:

• Virgin Galactic announced that its VSS Unity with pilots Dave Mackay and CJ Sturckow at the controls, accelerated to three times the speed of sound and reached an altitude of just over 55 miles (89 kilometers) above sea level before making its gliding return through the atmosphere.
• The crew enjoyed extraordinary views of Earth from the black skies of space and, during several minutes of weightlessness. Moses floated free to complete a number of cabin evaluation test points.
• The human validation of data previously collected via sensors, and the live testing of other physical elements of the cabin interior, are fundamental to the provision of a safe but enjoyable customer experience, Virgin Galactic said in a statement.