29 July 2008
Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo has been rolled out at its base in the Mojave Desert. The ground-breaking aircraft, which will carry the space-going SpaceShipTwo to the edge of space, is called ‘Eve’ in honour of Richard Branson’s mother, who unveiled it at a ceremony yesterday.
WhiteKnightTwo, like SpaceShipTwo, has been designed and built by Scaled Composites, the company founded by revolutionary aviation designer Burt Rutan. It was this company which won the X-Prize in 2004 by putting <a href=’http://www.flyer.co.uk/news/newsfeed.php?artnum=134′ target=’_blank’>SpaceShipOne – SpaceShipTwo’s predecessor – into space</a>.
WhiteKnightTwo is composite-built, and is powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308A to ensure that it has the long-distance capability and lifting power required by the mission. Its ceiling is quoted as over 50,000ft.
WhiteKnightTwo will now undergo extensive testing. Reports are that it has already begun taxi tests; the first flight should come later this year.
In the meantime, SpaceShipTwo (the spaceship module) is now under construction, also at the Mojave base. Invitees to yesterday’s rollout were able to see it, heavily shrouded, in its hangar. It is expected to be revealed in 2009.
There had <a href=’http://www.flyer.co.uk/news/newsfeed.php?artnum=614′ target=’_blank’>been an ambition</a> to get WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo to Oshkosh this year; clearly that’s not going to happen, but is expected in 2009.
It is a year, almost to the day, since three people died in an explosion at the <a href=’http://www.flyer.co.uk/news/newsfeed.php?artnum=618′ target=’_blank’>Scaled Composities factory</a>.
