VSS Unity

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VSS Unity (Virgin Space Ship Unity, registration: N202VG), previously referred to as VSS Voyager, is a SpaceShipTwo-class suborbital rocket-powered crewed spaceplane. It was the second SpaceShipTwo to be built and was part of the Virgin Galactic fleet. It first reached space as defined by the United States (above 50 miles or 80.5 km) on 13 December 2018, on the VP-03 mission.[1]

Unity was able to reach space as defined by the U.S. Air Force, NASA, and the FAA, by going over 50 miles (80.5 km) above sea level. However, it was unable to go above the Kármán line, the FAI's defined space boundary of 100 km (62.1 miles).

VSS Unity was rolled out on 19 February 2016[2][3] and completed ground-based system integration testing in September 2016, prior to its first flight on 8 September 2016.[4][5][6]

Unity was initially retired on 8 June 2024 after its final powered flight took place on that date, as Virgin Galactic shifted its focus to the next generation Delta-class vehicles.[7] On 27 May 2026 Unity returned to flight, conducting a training glide flight to train pilots for Delta-class vehicles.[8]

Overview

VSS Unity, the second SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane for Virgin Galactic,[9] was the first SpaceShipTwo built by The Spaceship Company. The ship's name was announced on 19 February 2016.[1] Prior to the naming announcement, the craft was referred to as SpaceShipTwo, Serial Number Two.[10][11] There was speculation in 2004 that Serial Number Two would be named VSS Voyager,[12] an unofficial name that was repeatedly used in media coverage.[13][14][15] The name Unity was chosen by British physicist Stephen Hawking. Hawking's eye was also used as the model for the eye logo on the side of Unity.[16]

History

VSS Unity under construction

The manufacture of Unity began in 2012.[17] The spacecraft's registration, N202VG, was filed in September 2014.[18] As of early November 2014, the build of Unity was about 90 percent structurally complete, and 65 percent complete overall. As of April 2015, ground tests of Unity were projected to be able to begin as early as late 2015,[19] after being projected as early as mid-2015 as of November 2014.[20][21][22] On 21 May 2015, Unity reached the milestone of bearing the weight of the airframe on its own wheels.[23] The spaceship was unveiled on 19 February 2016,[24] as Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson had projected in November 2015; ground and flight testing commenced thereafter.[25][26]

VSS Unity was the second SpaceShipTwo to be completed; the first, VSS Enterprise, was destroyed in a crash in late October 2014.[9][14]

After rollout and unveiling, a phase of testing called "Integrated Vehicle Ground Testing" began on VSS Unity in February 2016.[6]

Test flight program

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". VSS Unity underwent a test regimen similar to VSS Enterprise and then embarked on testing beyond what Enterprise experienced. The test flights were expected to be fewer, as Enterprise had already tested the design's responses under numerous conditions. For each flight test, the White Knight Two aircraft carried Unity to altitude. Testing began with captive carry flights, in which Unity was not released from its carrier aircraft. Testing then progressed to free-flight glide testing, and continued with powered test flights.[27]

On 8 September 2016, Virgin Galactic commenced flight testing of Unity with a captive-carry flight.[5] On 1 November 2016, Virgin Galactic conducted another captive-carry flight of Unity but cancelled the glide portion of the flight because of wind speed.[28] On 3 November and 30 November, additional captive-carry flights took place.[29][30][31]

In July 2017, Richard Branson suggested that the craft was to begin powered tests at three-week intervals.[32] In September 2017, CEO George Whitesides suggested that engine testing was complete, and that only a "small number of glide flights" remained before VSS Unity would begin powered test flights.[33] The first powered flight test took place on 5 April 2018 when a 30-second rocket firing accelerated Unity to a speed of Mach 1.87 and an altitude of 84,271 ft (25,686 m).[34][35] The first powered test flight of Unity exceeded the altitude of all powered test flights of its predecessor, Enterprise.[36]

VSS Unity VP-03, the first suborbital spaceflight of VSS Unity was successfully completed on 13 December 2018, surpassing the 50 miles (80 km) altitude considered the boundary of outer space by NASA and the United States Air Force.[37][38]

Following its February 2019 flight to space, VSS Unity began to undergo modifications including installation of the commercial cabin, and changes to cockpit displays.[39] Upon completion of these modifications, VSS Unity along with its carrier craft, VMS Eve, were moved to Spaceport America in New Mexico in February 2020.[40] After completing two additional glide tests in New Mexico in May and June 2020, VSS Unity underwent final modifications to the commercial cabin[41] and in July 2020, Virgin Galactic first publicly showed the interior of the spacecraft.[42]

Unity then continued the test flight program in the years 2020–2023. A notable flight occurred in 2021 when Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson flew aboard Unity to space. The final test flight (defined as final flight with only Virgin Galactic personnel onboard) was Virgin Galactic Unity 25 mission on 25 May 2023. The first operational flight of Unity (defined as the first flight flying passengers that were not Virgin Galactic employees) was Galactic 01 on 29 June 2023.

Powered flights of VSS Unity ended mid-2024 to focus the effort on the next generation Delta-class vehicles, then expected for 2025–26.[43]

On 27 May 2026, VSS Unity returned to flight, conducting the first in a series of planned glide flights to train pilots for future Delta-class vehicles.[8][44]

List of spaceflights by VSS Unity

VSS Unity flights into space (above 50 miles)
Flight Date Outcome Top speed Altitude Crew
VSS Unity VP-03 13 December 2018 Template:Success Mach 2.9 [45] Template:Cvt Mark P. Stucky and Frederick W. Sturckow
VSS Unity VF-01 22 February 2019 Template:Success Mach 3.04 [46] Template:Cvt [47] Dave Mackay, Michael Masucci, and Beth Moses (passenger)
VSS Unity VF-02 12 December 2020, 16:15 UTC (aborted)[48] Aborted prior to ignition N/A N/A Dave Mackay and Frederick W. Sturckow. Attempted spaceflight[49]
VSS Unity 21 22 May 2021, 15:26 UTC Template:Success Mach 3 Template:Cvt Dave Mackay and Frederick W. Sturckow[50]
VSS Unity 22 11 July 2021, 15:04 UTC Template:Success[a] Mach 3.2 Template:Cvt David Mackay, Michael Masucci, Sirisha Bandla, Colin Bennett, Beth Moses and Richard Branson
VSS Unity Unity 25 25 May 2023, 16:23 UTC[52] Template:Success Mach 2.94[53] Template:Cvt Michael Masucci, Frederick W. Sturckow, Beth Moses, Luke Mays, Jamila Gilbert, Christopher Huie
Galactic 01 29 June 2023, 15:28 UTC[54] Template:Success Mach 2.88 Template:Cvt Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone Carlucci and Colin Bennett
Galactic 02 10 August 2023, 15:17 UTC[55] Template:Success Mach 3.00 Template:Cvt CJ Sturckow, Kelly Latimer, Beth Moses, Jon Goodwin, Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers
Galactic 03 8 September 2023, 15:22 UTC[56] Template:Success Mach 2.95 Template:Cvt Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Beth Moses, Timothy Nash, Ken Baxter, Adrian Reynard[57]
Galactic 04 6 October 2023, 16:10 UTC[58] Template:Success Mach 2.95 Template:Cvt Kelly Latimer, CJ Sturckow, Beth Moses, Ron Rosano, Trevor Beattie, Namira Salim
Galactic 05 2 November 2023, 15:44 UTC[59] Template:Success Mach 2.96 Template:Cvt Michael Masucci, Kelly Latimer, Colin Bennett, Alan Stern, Kellie Gerardi, Ketty Maisonrouge
Galactic 06 26 January 2024, 17:42 UTC[60] Template:Success Mach 2.98 Template:Cvt CJ Sturckow, Nicola Pecile, Lina Borozdina, Robie Vaughn, Franz Haider, Neil Kornswiet
Galactic 07 8 June 2024 Template:Success Mach 2.96 87.5 km (54.4 mi) Nicola Pecile, Jameel Janjua, Tuva Cihangir Atasever, Giorgio Manenti, Irving (Yitzhak) Pergament, Andy Sadhwani
Final Unity powered flight

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  1. ^ The flight was initially claimed to be successful but it was later revealed Unity briefly stepped outside the airspace that had been reserved for it and the FAA were not informed as required. The FAA grounded Virgin Galactic's space planes before allowing a resumption of flights after some changes to procedures including reserving a larger volume of airspace.[51]

Full list of flights

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See also

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Notes

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References

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