SpaceShipTwo Resumes Flight Testing

Bethany Whitfield

Tuesday, July 03, 2012 at 07:28 PM ET

Verified

** SpaceShipTwo during its recent glide test**

Key Takeaways:

SpaceShipTwo recently received an FAA permit for rocket-powered flights, ending a nine-month hiatus.
Virgin Galactic has since launched an aggressive testing regimen, conducting seven test flights and three rocket motor tests in just over a month.
The company aims to achieve powered flight by the end of the year and already has a backlog of customers who've paid $200,000 for a seat.
SpaceShipTwo is designed for six passengers and two crew, and Virgin Galactic plans to expand to a five-spacecraft fleet.

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After receiving a special FAA permit for rocket-powered flights at the end of May, SpaceShipTwo has emerged from its nearly nine-month hiatus and quickly begun an aggressive flight-testing regimen along with its carrier vehicle, WhiteKnightTwo.

Little more than a month after gaining the permit, Virgin Galactic has since completed seven test flights and three full-blown rocket motor tests in what the company’s CEO and president, George Whitesides, called “a rapid escalation of test activity.”