Sixteen months after the original SpaceShip Two broke apart during a test flight and crashed, killing one of the two crew members on board, Virgin Galactic unveiled the new version of its space plane during a ceremony at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California on Friday.
The new spacecraft, which was given the name VSS Unity by Professor Stephen Hawking, will replace the VSS Enterprise, which was lost in the same October 2014 crash which resulted in the death of co-pilot Michael Alsbury, according to Engadget and Ars Technica.
While the external appearance of the new SpaceShip Two is virtually identical to its predecessor, The Verge noted that there are several upgrades designed to make it safer. For instance, the VSS Unity will include new fail-safes to prevent the pilot error that contributed to the 2014 crash, and the vehicle will also use a new rubber-like fuel that will be more efficient.
“Together, we can make space accessible in a way that has only been dreamt of before now, and by doing so can bring positive change to life on Earth,” Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson said in a statement, calling the new vehicle a “great testament to what can be achieved when true teamwork, great skill and deep pride are combined with a common purpose.”
Unity has many tests to complete and much to prove, experts say
The new SpaceShipTwo is the first vehicle manufactured by The Spaceship Company, the manufacturing arm of Virgin Galactic, and just the second of its designs to be built. The Verge also noted that the changes to the vehicle have yet to be tested in flight, and that the rubber like fuel that will be used in the Unity has previously caused engine problems.
Before Virgin Galactic’s celebrity clients such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, and Justin Bieber will be able to ride on the new SpaceShip Two, the company must prove that the changes they have made will make the space plane safer – something they intend to do through a series of test flights scheduled to begin later on this year. However, some industry experts are skeptical.
“They’ve struggled with the technology,” Charles Miller, president of the spaceflight consulting company NexGenSpace, told The Verge. “A lot of people have been critical about their technical choices from the beginning,” Miller said, adding that it was important that Branson and his team continue their work. “If they keep going, they’ll eventually overcome these problems. It’s the process of rapidly iterating new engineering, learning, and then doing something different.”
The first step, Engadget explained, will be to conduct full-vehicle electrical tests and to check all of its moving parts. Afterwards, Unity will be mounted to the WhiteKnightTwo transport vehicle and, if it demonstrates that it can remain firmly attached to this “carry” vehicle, it will then move on to glide tests conducted at altitudes of 45,000 feet to test the handling. Only then will the new SpaceShipTwo move onto the rocket-powered testing phase, the website noted.
“I would be very proud to fly on this spaceship,” Hawking said during Friday’s event, adding that he chose the name Unity because “space exploration has already been a great unifier – we seem able to cooperate between nations in space in a way we can only envy on Earth. We are entering a new space age and I hope this will help to create a new unity.”
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Image credit: Virgin Galactic
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