VSS Unity
Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Unity rollout, 19 February 2016, FAITH hangar, Mojave, California
Type Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo
Manufacturer The Spaceship Company
Construction number 2[1]
Registration N202VG[2]
First flight
  • 8 September 2016[3]
    (captive carry flight)
  • 3 December 2016
    (glide flight)
  • 5 April 2018
    (powered flight)
  • 13 December 2018
    (spaceflight dependent upon definition)
Owners and operators Virgin Galactic
In service 2016-2024

VSS Unity (Virgin Space Ship Unity, registration: N202VG), previously referred to as VSS Voyager, is a SpaceShipTwo-class suborbital rocket-powered crewed spaceplane. It is the second SpaceShipTwo to be built and is part of the Virgin Galactic fleet. It first reached space as defined by the United States (above 50 miles or 80.5 km) on 13 December 2018, on the VP-03 mission.[4]

Unity is able to reach space as defined by the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and the FAA, by going over 50 miles (80.5 km) above sea level. However, it is unable to go above the Kármán line, the FAI's defined space boundary of 100 km (62.1 miles).

VSS Unity was rolled out on 19 February 2016[5][6] and completed ground-based system integration testing in September 2016, prior to its first flight on 8 September 2016.[3][7][8]

Unity will be retired in 2024 as Virgin Galactic shifts its focus to the next generation Delta-class vehicles.

Overview

VSS Unity, the second SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane for Virgin Galactic,[9] is the first SpaceShipTwo built by The Spaceship Company. The ship's name was announced on 19 February 2016.[4] Prior to the naming announcement, the craft was referred to as SpaceShipTwo, Serial Number Two.[10][11] There was speculation in 2004 that Serial Number Two would be named VSS Voyager,[12] an unofficial name that was repeatedly used in media coverage.[13][14][15] The name Unity was chosen by British physicist Stephen Hawking. Hawking's eye is also used as the model for the eye logo on the side of Unity.[16]

History

VSS Unity under construction

The manufacture of Unity began in 2012.[2] The spacecraft's registration, N202VG, was filed in September 2014.[17] As of early November 2014, the build of Unity was about 90 percent structurally complete, and 65 percent complete overall. As of April 2015, ground tests of Unity were projected to be able to begin as early as late 2015,[18] after being projected as early as mid-2015 as of November 2014.[1][19][20] On 21 May 2015, Unity reached the milestone of bearing the weight of the airframe on its own wheels.[21] The spaceship was unveiled on 19 February 2016,[22] as Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson had projected in November 2015; ground and flight testing commenced thereafter.[23][24]

VSS Unity is the second SpaceShipTwo to be completed; the first, VSS Enterprise, was destroyed in a crash in late October 2014.[9][14]

After rollout and unveiling, a phase of testing called "Integrated Vehicle Ground Testing" began on VSS Unity in February 2016.[8]

Test flight program

VSS Unity will undergo a test regimen similar to VSS Enterprise, then will embark on testing beyond what Enterprise experienced. The test flights are expected to be fewer, as Enterprise has already tested the design's responses under numerous conditions. For each flight test, the White Knight Two aircraft carries Unity to altitude. Testing began with captive carry flights, in which Unity was not released from its carrier aircraft. Testing then progressed to free-flight glide testing, and will continue with powered test flights. It is possible that only two or three flights under each regime previously tested will be performed, instead of the five or ten that Enterprise performed.[25]

On 8 September 2016, Virgin Galactic commenced flight testing of Unity with a captive-carry flight.[7] On 1 November 2016, Virgin Galactic conducted another captive-carry flight of Unity but cancelled the glide portion of the flight because of wind speed.[26] On 3 November and 30 November, additional captive-carry flights took place.[27][28][29]

In July 2017, Richard Branson suggested that the craft was to begin powered tests at three-week intervals.[30] In September 2017, CEO George Whitesides suggested that engine testing was complete, and that only a "small number of glide flights" remained before VSS Unity would begin powered test flights.[31] The first powered flight test took place on 5 April 2018 when a 30-second rocket firing accelerated Unity to a speed of Mach 1.87 and an altitude of 84,271 ft (25,686 m).[32][33] The first powered test flight of Unity exceeded the altitude of all powered test flights of its predecessor, Enterprise.[34]

VSS Unity VP-03, the first suborbital spaceflight of VSS Unity was successfully completed on 13 December 2018, surpassing the 50 miles (80 km) altitude considered the boundary of outer space by NASA and the United States Air Force.[35][36]

Following its February 2019 flight to space, VSS Unity began to undergo modifications including installation of the commercial cabin, and changes to cockpit displays.[37] Upon completion of these modifications, VSS Unity along with its carrier craft, VMS Eve, were moved to Spaceport America in New Mexico in February 2020.[38] After completing two additional glide tests in New Mexico in May and June 2020, VSS Unity underwent final modifications to the commercial cabin[39] and in July 2020, Virgin Galactic first publicly showed the interior of the space craft.[40]

The flights of VSS Unity will stop mid-2024 to focus the effort on the next generation Delta-class vehicles, expected for 2025-26.[41]

SpaceShipTwo flights
Flight Date Outcome Top speed Altitude Crew
VSS Unity VP-03 13 December 2018 Success Mach 2.9 [42] 82.72 km (51.40 mi) Mark P. Stucky and Frederick W. Sturckow
VSS Unity VF-01 22 February 2019 Success Mach 3.04 [43] 89.9 km (55.9 mi) [44] Dave Mackay, Michael Masucci, and Beth Moses (passenger)
VSS Unity VF-02 12 December 2020, 16:15 UTC (aborted)[45] Aborted prior to ignition N/A N/A Dave Mackay and Frederick W. Sturckow[46]
VSS Unity 21 22 May 2021, 15:26 UTC Success Mach 3 89.2 km (55.4 mi) Dave Mackay and Frederick W. Sturckow[47]
VSS Unity 22 11 July 2021, 15:04 UTC Success[lower-alpha 1] Mach 3.2 86 km (53 mi) David Mackay, Michael Masucci, Sirisha Bandla, Colin Bennett, Beth Moses and Richard Branson
VSS Unity Unity 25 25 May 2023, 16:23 UTC[49] Success Mach 2.94[50] 87.2 km (54.2 mi) Michael Masucci, Frederick W. Sturckow, Beth Moses, Luke Mays, Jamila Gilbert, Christopher Huie
Galactic 01 29 June 2023, 15:28 UTC[51] Success Mach 2.88 85.1 km (52.9 mi) Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone Carlucci and Colin Bennett
Galactic 02 10 August 2023, 15:17 UTC[52] Success Mach 3.00 88.5 km (55.0 mi) CJ Sturckow, Kelly Latimer, Beth Moses, Jon Goodwin, Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers
Galactic 03 8 September 2023, 15:22 UTC[53] Success Mach 2.95 88.6 km (55.1 mi) Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Beth Moses, Timothy Nash, Ken Baxter, Adrian Reynard[54]
Galactic 04 6 October 2023, 16:10 UTC[55] Success Mach 2.95 87.4 km (54.3 mi) Kelly Latimer, CJ Sturckow, Beth Moses, Ron Rosano, Trevor Beattie, Namira Salim
Galactic 05 2 November 2023, 15:44 UTC[56] Success Mach 2.96 87.2 km (54.2 mi) Michael Masucci , Kelly Latimer, Colin Bennett, Alan Stern, Kellie Gerardi, Ketty Maisonrouge
Galactic 06 26 January 2024[57] Planned CJ Sturckow , Nicola Pecile , TBA , TBA , TBA, TBA
  1. ↑ The flight was initially claimed to be successful but it was later revealed Unity briefly stepped outside the airspace that had been reserved for it and the FAA were not informed as required. The FAA grounded Virgin Galactic's space planes before allowing a resumption of flights after some changes to procedures including reserving a larger volume of airspace.[48]

Full list of test flights

This section is an excerpt from List of Virgin Galactic launches § VSS Unity flights.[edit]
Legend
Code Detail
GFxx Glide Flight
CCxx Captive Carry Flight
CFxx Cold Flow Flight
PFxx Powered Flight
Fxx Feathering deployed
Flights
Flight designation Date Duration Maximum altitude Top speed Pilot / co-pilot / passengers Notes
01 / CC01 8 September 2016 15.2 km (50,000 ft) Stucky / Mackay [58]
02 / CC02 1 November 2016 Strong winds, no release during flight intended as GF01[59]
03 / CC03 3 November 2016 Strong winds, no release during second attempt at GF01
04 / CC04 30 November 2016 Test of minor modifications
05 / GF01 3 December 2016 10 minutes[60] 16.8 km (55,000 ft) Mach 0.6 Stucky / Mackay First Glide Flight[61][62][63][64]
06 / GF02 22 December 2016 Stucky / Mackay [65]
07 / GF03 24 February 2017 Sturckow / Mackay 3rd Glide Flight
08 / GF04 1 May 2017 Stucky / Masucci F01[66]
09 / CF01 1 June 2017 Mackay / Sturckow [67]
10 / GF06 4 August 2017 Mackay / Sturckow First flight with major propulsion components aboard.[68][69]
11 / GF07 11 January 2018 Mach 0.9 Stucky / Masucci [70][71][72][73]
12 / PF01 5 April 2018 25.7 km (84,300 ft) Mach 1.87 Stucky / Mackay F02[74]
13 / PF02 29 May 2018 34.9 km (114,501 ft)[75][76] Mach 1.9 Mackay / Stucky Test of changed center of gravity as passenger seats carried for first time. F03[77]
14 / PF03 26 July 2018 52.1 km (170,800 ft)[78] Mach 2.47[78] Mackay / Masucci[79] Reached Mesosphere for first time.[80]
15 / VP-03 13 December 2018 82.7 km (271,330 ft) Mach 2.9[81] Stucky / Sturckow Reached outer space for first time according to the US definition of the space border.[82]
16 / VF-01 22 February 2019 89.9 km (295,007 ft)[83][84] Mach 3.04 [83] Mackay / Masucci / Moses[83] Carried third crew member (1 in the passenger cabin) for the first time [83]
17 / GF08 1 May 2020 15.24 km (50,000 ft)[85] Mach 0.7 [85] Mackay / Sturckow [85] First flight from New Mexico [85]
18 / GF09 25 June 2020 15.54 km (51,000 ft)[86] Mach 0.85 [86] Stucky / Masucci [86]
19 12 December 2020 Mackay / Sturckow First attempted crewed spaceflight from New Mexico, aborted due to computer malfunction, engine ignited and automatically turned off.[87]
21 / VF-03 22 May 2021 89.23 km (55.45 mi) Mackay / Sturckow First crewed spaceflight (above 50 miles) from New Mexico[88]
22 11 July 2021 86.1 km (53.5 mi)[89] Mackay / Masucci / Sirisha Bandla, Colin Bennett, Beth Moses, Richard Branson First fully crewed[note 1] flight included Richard Branson.
24 / GF10 26 April 2023 9 minutes 13.5 km (47,000 ft) Sturckow / Pecile [90]
25 25 May 2023 14 minutes 87.2 km (54.2 mi) Mach 2.94 Masucci / Sturckow / Moses / Mays / Gilbert / Huie [91][92]
Galactic 01 29 June 2023 13:50 minutes 85.1 km (52.9 mi) Mach 2.88 Masucci / Pecile / Villadei / Carlucci / Pandolfi / Bennett First VSS Unity commercial service flight, carrying members of the Italian Air Force.[93]
Galactic 02 10 August 2023 15:38 minutes 88.5 km (55.0 mi) Mach 3.00 Sturckow / Latimer / Moses / Goodwin / Schahaff / Mayers First VSS Unity flight carrying a private astronaut.[94]
Galactic 03 8 September 2023 12:37 minutes 88.6 km (55.1 mi) Mach 2.95 Masucci / Pecile / Moses / Baxter / Reynard / Nash[95]
Galactic 04 6 October 2023 14:23 minutes 87.4 km (54.3 mi) Mach 2.95 Latimer / Sturckow / Moses / Rosano / Beattie / Salim[96]
Galactic 05 2 November 2023 14:20 minutes 87.2 km (54.2 mi) Mach 2.96 Masucci / Latimer / Bennett / Stern / Gerardi / Maisonrouge[97]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to VSS Unity.

Notes

  1. ↑ The SpaceShipTwo vehicles (like VSS Unity) are designed for 8 people, 6 passengers and 2 pilots, so whether this flight was fully-crewed is debatable. But it is true that at the time of this flight, only 6 seats (4 passengers, 2 pilots) were installed in VSS Unity, so in this sense this flight was fully-crewed.

References

  1. 1 2 Luke Villapaz (5 November 2014). "Virgin Galactic Hopes To Restart SpaceShipTwo Tests In Summer 2015". International Business Times.
  2. 1 2 Irene Klotz (5 November 2014). "New spaceship restoring hope after Virgin Galactic crash". SpaceDaily. Reuters. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Update from Mojave: VSS Unity's First Flight Test Completed - Virgin Galactic". virgingalactic.com. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 @virgingalactic (19 February 2016). "Virgin Galactic announces new ship name" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ↑ "New SpaceShipTwo Rollout Friday". AVweb. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Virgin Galactic unveils new space tourism rocket plane". CBC News. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Virgin Galactic's new SpaceShipTwo gets off the ground, two years after fatal mishap". GeekWire. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Update from Mojave: Testing Testing 1-2-3". Virgin Galactic. 10 March 2016. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Mojave Update: SpaceShipTwo Construction". virgingalactic.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  10. ↑ Rosenberg, Zach. "The Making of SpaceShipTwo". Air & Space Smithsonian. Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
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  12. ↑ "One small step for space tourism..." The Economist. 16 December 2004.
  13. ↑ Roll, Erin (21 November 2013). "Glen Ridge resident helping to launch commercial spaceflight". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  14. 1 2 Dean, Lewis (31 October 2014). "Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Crash: Pilot Dies After 'Serious' In-Flight Problem". International Business Times. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  15. ↑ Harlow, John (9 November 2014). "Virgin: Our spaceship will be flying by April". The Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
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  40. ↑ "Virgin Galactic Reveals Spaceshiptwo Cabin Interior". 28 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  41. ↑ Jeff Foust (8 November 2023). "Virgin Galactic to halt Unity suborbital flights by mid-2024". Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  42. ↑ @virgingalactic (13 December 2018). "We travelled at 2.9 Mach on the way up to today. That's 2.9 times the speed of sound" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  43. ↑ @virgingalactic (22 February 2019). "Mach 3.0" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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  51. ↑ Jonathan McDowell [@planet4589] (29 June 2023). "Galactic 01 stats: launch 1528:38 UTC, apogee 85.1 km, flight time from drop to main gear touchdown 13m50s. Drop location EBR P3 in my launch points list (107.0W 33.3N)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  52. ↑ Jonathan McDowell [@planet4589] (10 August 2023). "I don't quite agree with these numbers. I have takeoff of White Knight 2 at 1429:45 UTC (in agreement with their 8.30 am MDT) but landing of SS2 at 1532:48 UTC (9.32 am MDT). Release time 1517:10 UTC and SS2 free flight time 15:38 with apogee 88.5 km" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  53. ↑ Jonathan McDowell [@planet4589] (8 September 2023). "Virgin Galactic few Spaceship Two mission Galactic 03 on Sep 8. VMS Eve took off at 1434 UTC and dropped VSS Unity over the usual drop point (EBR P3 in my list) at about 1522:13 UTC. Unity boosted to 88.6 km apogee and landed at Spaceport America at 1535 UTC" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  54. ↑ "Core memory unlocked. Welcome to space, #Galactic03. Congratulations, 014, 015, and 016!". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  55. ↑ "Virgin Galactic completes fifth successful flight in five months". Virgin Galactic (Press release). 6 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  56. ↑ "'Galactic 05' research mission set to become Virgin Galactic's sixth flight in six months". Virgin Galactic (Press release). 18 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  57. ↑ "Virgin Galactic launches into the new year with January commercial flight". Virgin Galactic (Press release). 19 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
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  83. 1 2 3 4 "Virgin Galactic". www.virgingalactic.com. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
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  85. 1 2 3 4 "Virgin Galactic's SpaceshipTwo Completes First Flight From Spaceport America". www.virgingalactic.com. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  86. 1 2 3 "Virgin Galactic's SpaceshipTwo Completes Second Flight From Spaceport America". www.virgingalactic.com. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
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  89. ↑ "Virgin Galactic Successfully Completes First Fully Crewed Spaceflight". 11 July 2021.
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  93. ↑ Jonathan McDowell [@planet4589] (29 June 2023). "Galactic 01 stats: launch 1528:38 UTC, apogee 85.1 km, flight time from drop to main gear touchdown 13m50s. Drop location EBR P3 in my launch points list (107.0W 33.3N)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  94. ↑ Jonathan McDowell [@planet4589] (10 August 2023). "I don't quite agree with these numbers. I have takeoff of White Knight 2 at 1429:45 UTC (in agreement with their 8.30 am MDT) but landing of SS2 at 1532:48 UTC (9.32 am MDT). Release time 1517:10 UTC and SS2 free flight time 15:38 with apogee 88.5 km" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  95. ↑ "Core memory unlocked. Welcome to space, #Galactic03. Congratulations, 014, 015, and 016!". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  96. ↑ "Virgin Galactic completes fifth successful flight in five months". Virgin Galactic (Press release). 6 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  97. ↑ "Virgin Galactic Completes Sixth Successful Spaceflight in Six Months". Virgin Galactic (Press release). 2 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
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