Virgin Galactic Tests at Spaceport America

On September 10 and 11, Spaceport America hosted a flight test exercise of the Virgin Galactic WhiteKnightTwo. WhiteKnightTwo is the aircraft that will carry SpaceShipTwo to approximately 50,000 feet altitude before it is released and propelled to space by its internal rocket engine. Some of the more important goals of the exercise were: 1) to test airspace coordination and mission control processes, 2) to provide Virgin Galactic pilots opportunity to gain experience in the operational environment, 3) to provide operational training for Spaceport America and Virgin Galactic personnel, 4) to test and validate ground handling and maintenance procedures at the Spaceport, and 5) to provide Spaceport aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel opportunity to gain greater familiarity with the spaceflight system. Three separate test missions were flown over the two-day event with a different combination of pilots on each. The exercise was successful in all respects. It was an important step in the steady progression to Virgin Galactic commercial operations at Spaceport America.