Virgin Galactic’s experimental aircraft designed to one day carry paying customers into space, has completed its maiden flight successfully.
The sleek, six-passenger ship, called VSS Enterprise, remained attached to its carrier aircraft throughout the two-hour, 54-minute flight.
”Virgin Galactic announced that its commercial manned spaceship, VSS Enterprise, this morning successfully completed its first ‘captive carry’ test flight,” the company said.
Galactic has already collected $US45 million in deposits from more than 330 people who have reserved seats aboard the six-person craft.
“Watching VSS Enterprise fly for the first time really brings home what beautiful, ground-breaking vehicles Burt and his team have developed for us,” Branson said in a statement.
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Branson hopes to start test flights into space by next year. Off to book my ticket now.
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