Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space vehicle will take to the skies on Saturday as part of the company's next attempt at a successful rocket-powered test flight from Spaceport America.
"Following a detailed inspection and thorough analysis of our mothership, Eve, we have cleared our Spaceflight System for our upcoming flight. I want to thank our incredibly talented team of engineers, maintenance crew, quality inspectors and support staff for their diligence and hard work, which is testament to our commitment to safety and the integrity of our flight test program,” said Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, in a statement Thursday morning.
The announcement follows an attempt in December that was cut short when electromagnetic interference caused a rocket motor controller to reboot, according to the company. The company then found additional electromagnetic interference impacts during preflight preparations for an attempt in February, according to its fourth quarter and full year 2020 investor update. Virgin Galactic then said it was re-evaluating timing for the next launch due to maintenance for its VMS Eve vehicle, which carries the spaceplane into the air before releasing it.
The upcoming flight will be led by two pilots and bring research payloads as part of the NASA Flight Opportunities program, according to Virgin Galactic. One of the main focuses of the flight will be examining "remedial work" that has been done on VSS Unity to reduce electromagnetic interference. Flight controls, elements of the customer cabin and live-streaming capabilities will also be analyzed.
Following the first successful test flight, the company plans a second flight with two pilots and "a full cabin of internal spaceflight participants," Colglazier said during a recent quarterly call. A third flight is set to include Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson.
To date, hundreds of people have reserved flights with Virgin Galactic, which plans to re-open ticket sales around the time of Branson's flight. The day that commercial operations begin will be a momentous one for the Spaceport, which has been criticized in the past for lack of activity. The taxpayer-funded facility, which cost $218 million to construct, is anchored by Virgin Galactic as its main tenant.
Virgin Galactic touted a "strong" cash position at the end of the first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $617 million on hand and $129 million in net loss. It also rolled out its next line of space vehicles with the VSS Imagine vehicle, which is set to commence ground testing with glide flights from the Spaceport this summer, Business First reported.
