A recent test flight of Virgin Galactic’s private SpaceShipTwo spacecraft caused some tense moments for those participating and observing, but ultimately a new safety feature on the suborbital craft allowed its three-person crew to regain control and bring it safely back down to Earth. After being carried aloft by the WhiteKnightTwo aircraft in the test flight of Sept. 29, plans called for SpaceShipTwo to be released into a rapid descent. Upon release, however, “the spaceship experienced a downward pitch rate that caused a stall of the tails,” the manufacturer’s log explains.
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Virgin Galactic Spacecraft Triumphs in Hair-Raising Test Flight
Posted by: Katherine Noyes October 18, 2011 06:44 PMA recent test flight of Virgin Galactic’s private SpaceShipTwo spacecraft caused some tense moments for those participating and observing, but ultimately a new safety feature on the suborbital craft allowed its three-person crew to regain control and bring it safely back down to Earth. After being carried aloft by the WhiteKnightTwo aircraft in the test flight of Sept. 29, plans called for SpaceShipTwo to be released into a rapid descent. Upon release, however, “the spaceship experienced a downward pitch rate that caused a stall of the tails,” the manufacturer’s log explains.