According to Engadget on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.
Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo model VSS Unity (Photo credit: Ronrosano/Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Virgin Galactic briefly introduced its first “SpaceShip III” on YouTube, a spacecraft that will begin ground tests and “glide flights” later this year. This is a striking vessel that guides the Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Naboo starship in a fantastic way. It is made of a mirror-like material that reflects its surroundings, whether the black of space or the blue of Earth’s atmosphere. This not only involves aesthetics, but also provides thermal protection.
Virgin Galactic’s third-generation spacecraft features a modular design designed to make incremental improvements easier and less costly. According to the company, Imagine will: “lay the foundation for the design and manufacture of future vehicles.” The company is already working on VSS Inspire after flight tests began on this first ship. Virgin Galactic’s goal is to fly 400 flights per year per spaceport, and it will take more than one ship to achieve that goal.
In the near future, Virgin Galactic is focused on its next test flight for the SpaceShipTwo model VSS Unity. That test was originally scheduled for May 2021, but was postponed several times for further technical checks due to the company’s failed December 2020 test. spaceShipTwo may not be as shiny, but it’s still a very expensive prototype spacecraft. And, if you’re waiting for the first space tourism trip, it will probably be in 2022, if not beyond predictions.
Recent Comments