
Virgin Galactic will unveil its imaginatively named SpaceShipTwo craft “very soon.”
In a statement on Virgin’s website, a spokesperson said further testing would take place after the event before the company, eventually, launches “the first commercial human spaceflight program in history.”
“If you are expecting SpaceShipTwo to blast off and head straight to space on the day we unveil her, let us disillusion you now: this will be a ground-based celebration,” the statement read.
“Indeed, our new vehicle will remain on the ground for a while after her unveiling, as we run her through full-vehicle tests of her electrical systems and all of her moving parts.
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“We already know these things work individually, but one can’t simply assume they will all work together—that must be tested and verified. We’ll do so quickly, but we won’t cut corners.”
Testing and safety are, obviously, critical, especially in the wake of SpaceShipTwo prototype VSS Enterprise breaking up in-flight two years ago, killing one pilot and injuring another.
SpaceShipTwo will be the second unveiling for Virgin Galactic this year – a prototype spacesuit created by designer Yohji Yamamoto and sportswear company Adidas was shown off last month.
Image: still from Virgin Galactic promotional video.
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