{"id":16451,"date":"2018-07-27T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2018-07-27T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16451"},"modified":"2018-07-27T01:45:25","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T05:45:25","slug":"video-virgin-galactic-vss-unity-rocket-reaches-52-km-on-third-powered-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16451","title":{"rendered":"Video: Virgin Galactic VSS Unity rocketplane reaches 52 km on third powered flight"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On Thursday, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.VirginGalactic.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Virgin Galactic<\/a>&#8216;s VSS Unity rocketplane reached Mach 2.47 in speed and 52 kilometers in altitude on the vehicle&#8217;s third test flight with the hybrid motor firing. This video shows highlights of the test:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c8dEwUD6fXs?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>If the program continues to make steady progress, the vehicle should cross the border of space this year,\u00a0 perhaps within two or three more test flights. (Whether VG will define the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">100 km K\u00e1rm\u00e1n line<\/a> as the threshold to space or the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line#Alternatives_to_the_definition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USAF&#8217;s 80 k<\/a>m, has not been clarified yet.) Then sometime in 2019 they could begin taking six paying passengers at a time to space on a regular basis. Currently about 700 people are holding tickets for flights on Virgin Galactic <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SpaceShipTwo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SpaceShipTwo vehicles<\/a>. The current ticket price is $250,000.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.BlueOrigin.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blue Origin<\/a> is on roughly the same time schedule with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/new-shepard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Shepard<\/a> vertically launched system. New Shepard vehicles have reached over 100 km eight times on <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_Shepard#Flight_test_program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">test flights since 2015<\/a>\u00a0but without anyone on board. Unity, on the other hand, always has two pilots and will carry up to six passengers. The six passengers on a New Shepard will ride without pilots and instead rely on autonomous control.<\/p>\n<p>Virgin Galactic posted the following statement about this week&#8217;s test:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.virgingalactic.com\/articles\/Into-the-Mesosphere-at-Mach-2\" target=\"_d\">Into the Mesosphere at Mach 2.4<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16453\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16453\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.virgingalactic.com\/articles\/Into-the-Mesosphere-at-Mach-2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"16453\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=16453\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Virgin_Galactics_Third_Powered_Flight.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1440\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;null&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Virgin Galactic&#039;s Third Powered Flight on July 26th 2018&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;null&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Virgin Galactic&#039;s Third Powered Flight on July 26th 2018&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Virgin Galactic&amp;#8217;s Third Powered Flight on July 26th 2018\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Virgin Galactic&amp;#8217;s Third Powered Flight on July 26th 2018&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Virgin_Galactics_Third_Powered_Flight-1024x576.jpg\" class=\"size-large wp-image-16453\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Virgin_Galactics_Third_Powered_Flight-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Virgin_Galactics_Third_Powered_Flight-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Virgin_Galactics_Third_Powered_Flight-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Virgin_Galactics_Third_Powered_Flight-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16453\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Virgin Galactic&#8217;s Third Powered Flight on July 26th 2018<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>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 \u201cSooch\u201d Masucci lit the spaceship\u2019s rocket motor, before pulling up into a near vertical climb and powering towards the black sky at 2.47 times the speed of sound.<\/p>\n<p>The planned 42 seconds rocket burn took pilots and spaceship through the Stratosphere and, at an apogee of 170,800 ft [52 km], into the Mesosphere for the first time. This region, often referred to by scientists as the \u201cIgnorosphere\u201d, 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.<\/p>\n<p>After a safe landing back at Mojave Air and Space Port, Chief Pilot Dave Mackay summed up the experience:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u201cIt was a thrill from start to finish. Unity\u2019s rocket motor performed magnificently again and Sooch pulled off a smooth landing. This was a new altitude record for both of us in the cockpit, not to mention our mannequin in the back, and the views of Earth from the black sky were magnificent.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Sooch added:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u201cHaving been a U2 pilot and done a lot of high altitude work, or what I thought was high altitude work, the view from 170,000 ft was just totally amazing. The flight was exciting and frankly beautiful. We were able to complete a large number of test points which will give us good insight as we progress to our goal of commercial service.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Every time VSS Unity is tested on the ground, or in the skies, we gain invaluable experience and fresh data. This continuously improves our modelling and helps us optimise objectives and test points as we progressively expand the flight envelope. Today\u2019s test, among other things, gathered more data on supersonic aerodynamics as well as thermal dynamics.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16452\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16452\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.virgingalactic.com\/articles\/Into-the-Mesosphere-at-Mach-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"16452\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=16452\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/TestFlight-July26-2018_4.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,800\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"VSS Unity Lands\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;VSS Unity lands after its test flight on July 26, 2018 to 52 kilomters.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/TestFlight-July26-2018_4-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-16452 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/TestFlight-July26-2018_4-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/TestFlight-July26-2018_4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/TestFlight-July26-2018_4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/TestFlight-July26-2018_4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/TestFlight-July26-2018_4.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16452\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>VSS Unity lands after its third powered flight.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As it has been on previous flights, Unity\u2019s cabin was equipped to gather data vital to the future safety and experience of our astronaut customers. These cabin analysis systems record a host of parameters that are designed to help us further understand the environment inside the cabin during powered flight \u2013 temperatures, pressures, humidity, acoustics, thermal response, vibration, acceleration and even radiation.<\/p>\n<p>The carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, was piloted today by Todd Ericson and Kelly Latimer.<\/p>\n<p>Congratulations to everyone at Virgin Galactic and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/thespaceshipcompany.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Spaceship Company<\/a>\u00a0today for achieving another significant step towards commercial service. With VSS Unity, VMS Eve and the pilots safely back on the ground, we will now analyze the post-flight data as we plan and prepare for our next flight.<\/p>\n<p>For downloadable assets from today\u2019s flight please visit our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.image.net\/virgingalactic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Press FTP<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Thursday, the Virgin Galactic&#8216;s VSS Unity rocketplane reached Mach 2.47 in speed and 52 kilometers in altitude on the vehicle&#8217;s third test flight with the hybrid motor firing. This video shows highlights of the test: If the program continues to make steady progress, the vehicle should cross the border of space this year,\u00a0 perhaps &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16451\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Video: Virgin Galactic VSS Unity rocketplane reaches 52 km on third powered flight<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,14,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rockets","category-space-participation","category-spaceflight-parabolic-flight"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-4hl","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16115,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16115","url_meta":{"origin":16451,"position":0},"title":"Videos: Virgin Galactic&#8217;s &#8220;Unity&#8221; rocketplane makes second powered flight","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Virgin Galactic is carrying out a series of test flights of the VSS Unity suborbital rocketplane. Each test is going faster and higher with the aim of reaching space (greater than 80 km height as they define it) before the end of this year. On Wednesday, Unity made the second\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/AIzx6X3ub2I\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17932,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17932","url_meta":{"origin":16451,"position":1},"title":"Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo test flight &#8211; Feb.22.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"February 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"[ Updates: 12:14 pm EST: Max altitude is reportedly 294,000 feet, or 89.6 km, or 55.7 miles. [Update: 295,007 feet, or 89.9 km, or 55.87 miles.] 12:08 pm EST: The SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity is back safely on the ground after a second successful powered flight to the edge of space.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/WK2-SS2-Feb22-2019-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16519,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16519","url_meta":{"origin":16451,"position":2},"title":"Videos: Recent rocket flights","author":"TopSpacer","date":"August 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A selection of videos about rocket flights in the past couple of weeks: ** Virgin Galactic -\u00a0Elevating Unity - Episode 5: Third Rocket Powered Flight: On July 26th, 2018 VSS Unity completed its third rocket-powered test flight, a key step forward the path to space.\u00a0Julia Hunter, Virgin Galactic Vice President\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ZW3SfBSGivQ\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17954,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17954","url_meta":{"origin":16451,"position":3},"title":"Virgin Galactic sets new milestones on second flight to edge of space in 10 weeks","author":"TopSpacer","date":"February 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is a press release from Virgin Galactic about today's SpaceShipTwo flight to space: Virgin Galactic Makes Space for Second Time in Ten Weeks with Three On Board, Reaching Higher Altitudes and Faster Speeds, as Flight Test Program Continues Flight Follows December\u2019s Fourth Rocket-Powered Flight and First Space Flight Mojave,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Second_Spaceflight_Rocket_Motor_Burn-1024x538.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17296,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17296","url_meta":{"origin":16451,"position":4},"title":"Virgin Galactic: Richard Branson hails first SpaceShipTwo spaceflight","author":"TopSpacer","date":"December 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A release from Virgin Galactic about today's SpaceShipTwo spaceflight: [ Update: A new video from the flight: https:\/\/youtu.be\/NZO26mVshfQ ] Richard Branson Welcomes Astronauts Home from Virgin Galactic\u2019s Historic First Spaceflight History has been made and a long-anticipated dream realised in Mojave, CA, today as Virgin Galactic\u2019s SpaceShipTwo, VSS Unity, landed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Virgin_Galactics_First_Spaceflight-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23981,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=23981","url_meta":{"origin":16451,"position":5},"title":"Space transport roundup: Part 1 &#8211; General &#8211; July.28.2021","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here). Part 1 focuses on news from companies and organizations around the world. Part 2 Roundup focuses on\u00a0 SpaceX. ** July 20: Blue Origin flies New Shepard with people for first time. On\u00a0 the 52nd\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Sirisha3-4-601x338-1eef9ce-500x281.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16451"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16455,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16451\/revisions\/16455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}