Richard Branson has unveiled the rocket plane he will use to take fare-paying passengers into space, as SpaceShipTwo was presented to the world in Mojave, California, yesterday. The vehicle will undergo testing over the next 18 months before being allowed to take ticketed individuals on short-hop trips just above the atmosphere. VIRGIN GALACTIC intends to run the 1st flights out of New Mexico before extending operations around the globe. Built from lightweight carbon composite materials and powered by a hybrid rocket motor, SS2 is based on the X-Prize-winning SpaceShipOne concept, a rocket plane that is lifted initially by a carrier vehicle before blasting skywards. SpaceShipOne became the world's 1st private spaceship with a series of high-altitude flights in 2004. Its successor, however, is twice as large, measuring 60ft in length. And whereas SpaceShipOne only had a single Pilot and room for 2 passengers, SS2 will have a crew of 2 and room for 6 passengers. About 300 individuals are reported to have signed up for a flight. They are all willing to pay about $200,000 for the privilege of experiencing six minutes of weightlessness during what will be a 2 hour end-to-end flight. New Mexico is investing almost $200m in a purpose-built facility in Upham. It will have a 10,000ft runway and a suitably space-age terminal and hangar building. Branson's Virgin Galactic enterprise will have competitors but he is almost certain to be the first to market, barring any problems arising in the test campaign. SpaceShipTwo's carrier plane is called WhiteKnightTwo. It was finished last year and has already begun its own flight testing trials.
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