Michael Najjar

03 June, 2023

Final test flight of Spaceship Unity

The Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity made on 25th of May its critical last powered flight to space before starting commercial operations this summer. The Unity 25 mission had six astronauts on board and reached space early in the morning on Tuesday, the 25th of May. I witnessed the test flight and was given permission to access the hangar and take pictures of the spaceship one day prior to the flight.

VSS Unity, slung underneath the VMS Eve White Knight Two mothership, took off from the Spaceport America complex in New Mexico. After takeoff, VMS Eve climbed to an altitude of approximately 14,325 meters (47,000 feet) before releasing VSS Unity. Shortly after release, VSS Unity ignited its hybrid rocket engine for around 60 seconds. Once the engine, using liquid nitrous oxide and solid rubber, was at full power, Unity initiated a climb which, taking it to an altitude of over 80 kilometers, which is at the edge of space. Unity spent about five minutes in weightlessness at this altitude, and the astronauts were able to move around the cabin to analyze the experience. The spacecraft began its descent with its tail booms having been extended into a “feathered” position for reentry. It extended its tail booms back into their usual position when it descends into thicker atmospheric conditions, before gliding to a touchdown on Spaceport America’s runway.

Final test flight of Spaceship Unity

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