Nascent suborbital space ride company Virgin Galactic unveiled its six-passenger prototype, the VSS Enterprise, at a star-studded roll-out ceremony at the Mojave Air and Space port on 7 December. Initial testing of the composite spacecraft, expected to begin next year, will include captive carry, glide tests, rocket-powered lift and expansion of the envelope, heading toward first operations some time in 2011 or later. Sir Richard Branson says he has $42 million in reservations for the suborbital flights, comprised of fully paid $200,000 slots and $20,000 deposits from more than 300 customers. That number is only slightly higher than the $40 million in reservations that Virgin Galactic reported in April.
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© Alan Radecki/Flightglobal.com |
Source: Flight International
