Revived SpaceShipTwo

Virgin Galactic introduced the new SpaceShipTwo tourist rocket plan model. The previous device collapsed in the air in the fall of 2014 due to a pilot error ( but not only ). This model repeats the previous construction. Let's hope that it provides error protection and reliability.



The rocket plane should launch from under the wing of the White Knight aircraft at an altitude of 15 km and rise above 100 km thanks to a hybrid rocket engine. The return will take place in planning mode. Six passengers will be able to look at the Earth from the side and can be considered people who have made a space flight.



The previous model before the accident reached the stage of firing flight tests but could not rise above 22 kilometers. There was a problem with the instability of the hybrid engine. The peculiarity of this engine is that the solid fuel in it is rubber, and the oxidizing agent is liquid nitrous oxide. In the last flight we tested new fuel - plastic. The engine started well, but for some reason the pilot unlocked the aerodynamic stabilizer, which is used only during descent. This mistake killed both the rocket plane and the pilot.








Source: dailymail.co.uk

Now Virgin Galactic emphasizes that a large number of tests will be carried out with the new device. They already tested the components separately, now it's time for complex tests. First, there will be work on the ground: they will check the power supply system, test the reliability of the mountings to the carrier aircraft. Therefore, there will be starts without turning on the rocket engine - they will practice the first stage of launch and landing. And only then will they switch to rocket-propelled flights. I think that at such a pace the first tourist will go into space no sooner than two years later, at best.

The cost of tickets is called $ 250 thousand dollars. Currently, several dozen tickets have already been purchased on pre-orders.











The new rocket plane has its own name VSS Unity, at the suggestion of Stephen Hawking, who also looks forward to flying.

In the future, this technology is considered as a means for carrying out hypersonic passenger flights through space. Tourist flights must work out the technology.