The Bite Magazine - Spring 2016 - Issue 15

world, while not a guarantee of success is a good start! But our new spaceship has taken that concept to a whole new level.” He thanked the team for their efforts in making the launch of the new spaceship possible by saying, “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. Our beautiful new spaceship, VSS Unity, is the embodiment of that goal and will provide us with an unprec- edented body of experience which will in turn lay the foundations for Virgin Galac- tic’s future. Her creation is also great testament to what can be achieved when true teamwork, great skill and deep pride are combined with a common purpose.” The first spaceship vehicle to be man- ufactured by The Spaceship Company, SpaceShipTwo or VSS Unity is the second vehicle of its design to ever be con- structed. It was unveiled in FAITH (Final Assembly Integration Test Hangar), the Mojave-based home of manufacturing and testing for Virgin Galactic’s human space flight program. Featuring a new silver and white livery, it was guided into position by one of the company’s support Range Rovers, provided by its exclusive auto- motive partner Land Rover. Although now fully manufactured and unveiled, after undergoing rigorous testing of each component part before assembly since 2012, the Spaceship Company will still undertake integrated systems verifica- tion.This will be followed by ground and flight tests in Mojave and ground and air exercises at its future home in Space- fort America in New Mexico. VSS Unity modelled on the smaller 2004 X-Prize winning SpaceShipOne created by Burt Rutan, is designed to take a crew of two pilots and up to six passengers to space. Virgin Galactic’s space flight experience features an air launch followed by a rock- et-powered ascent at three and a half times the speed of sound, the silence of space, several minutes of out-of-seat weightlessness and multiple windowed views of Earth. Besides VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic’s commercial spaceline fleet consists of two dedicated carrier air- craft – the WhiteKnightTwo VMS Eve for human spaceflight and the 747-400 Cosmic Girl for the LauncherOne small satellite launch service. Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides also said, “We seek to open space to people from all walks of life, and today’s milestone is a big step toward that goal. Outer space is the province of all humanity, and we think it is about time that all humanity has a chance to explore it: not just pilots but also painters, not just engineers but also everyday explorers.” So what can passengers expect when they fly VSS Unity? Well there is the unique thrill of spaceflight, the oppor- tunity to leave your seat to float in zero gravity for several minutes and experi- ence astounding views of Earth from the black sky of space. However, before you take off to the stars there are three days of preparation at New Mexico’s Space- port America to ensure a safe, enjoyable and unforgettable journey. And you will be given a keepsake of your experience which will be captured on film so that you have a unique personal record of history in the making. VSS Unity uses much of the same technology, construc- tion and design of SpaceShipOne but is twice the size in terms of wingspan and overall length, and nearly six times the size in cabin volume. It has also been designed for commercial service rather than a proof-of-concept demonstration. Features include cabin diameter approx- imately the same size as a Falcon 900 Jet, large windows positioned through- out the cabin to afford maximum viewing potential for passengers, reclining seats to maximise cabin space in micrograv- ity and for comfort during re-entry. All structural components are 100% carbon composite and the total independent flight time is approximately 30 minutes. www.virgingalactic.com bitetravel Images courtesy of Image.net/Jack Brockway