Post by pavel on Apr 21, 2016 2:53:29 GMT -6
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES - Virgin Galactic's carrier plane, the WhiteKnightTwo, sailed the skies of southern New Mexico on Wednesday, part of its first visit to Spaceport America since the summer of 2014.
The plane's return trip to the state this week, part of the spaceliner company's flight testing program, represents a small step toward Virgin Galactic's goal of eventually hosting suborbital spaceflights for tourists from the southern Sierra County launch facility, company officials said.
The plane's visit is also the first since a major setback for Virgin Galactic, an Oct. 31, 2014 breaking apart of its spaceship during a test flight, which killed one pilot and injured another. The spaceship was the only completed ship at that time, though the company in February rolled out a second vessel.
The crash raised questions among New Mexicans, who financed the $218.5 million spaceport through tax dollars, about the company's and the facility's future.
Read more: www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/spaceport/2016/04/20/virgin-galactic-tests-whiteknighttwo-spaceport/83317310/
The plane's return trip to the state this week, part of the spaceliner company's flight testing program, represents a small step toward Virgin Galactic's goal of eventually hosting suborbital spaceflights for tourists from the southern Sierra County launch facility, company officials said.
The plane's visit is also the first since a major setback for Virgin Galactic, an Oct. 31, 2014 breaking apart of its spaceship during a test flight, which killed one pilot and injured another. The spaceship was the only completed ship at that time, though the company in February rolled out a second vessel.
The crash raised questions among New Mexicans, who financed the $218.5 million spaceport through tax dollars, about the company's and the facility's future.
Read more: www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/spaceport/2016/04/20/virgin-galactic-tests-whiteknighttwo-spaceport/83317310/