Virgin Galactic unveiled first of its long awaited SpaceShip Two planes at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California on Monday. Virgin Galactic President, Will Whitehorn, said the spacecraft will be christened the V.S.S. Enterprise, short for Virgin Space Ship Enterprise. The word “Enterprise” has a long tradition in maritime and aviation industry.
V.S.S. Enterprise has taken its design from Burt Rutan’s reusable manned spacecraftSpaceShipOne. The same design had won the coveted US $10-million Ansari X Prize in 2004. The spacecraft measures 60 feet (18 meters) and can carry up to 6 passengers, who will be shelling out a handsome amount for a two-and-a-half hour long flight into suborbital space to experience zero gravity of space and curvature of the Earth.
The event was attended by some 300 potential passengers who have already put down at least US $200,000 as a deposit for the Virgin Galactic ticket. The ticket holders had been patiently waiting throughout the vehicle’s secret construction going on for past 5 years and were thrilled to finally see it “in flesh”. The spacecraft is expected to take people into space as early as 2011.
The company is going to start a test program that is expected to stretch for almost 18 months to carry a battery of ground and flight tests to test the craft’s safety. ”This is a unique project and we’re not in a race with anyone. We’re only in a race with safety.” said Whitehorn.
Once testing is carried out successfully, production for the fleet of spacecrafts like SpaceShip Two will begin in order to meet the expected demand for rides into space. Virgin Galactic has partnered with a company named “The Spaceship Company” to produce both WhiteKnight Two mother ships and the SpaceShip Two spacecrafts. 40-50 spaceships are expected be ordered to satisfy the market needs. Virgin Galactic will have exclusive use of the launch system for the first 18 months of operation.