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The Scaled Composites Model 316, [2] known as SpaceShipOne, was a spaceplane designed to: . Carry three humans (one of them a pilot) in a sea-level pressurized cabin.; Be propelled by rocket from an altitude of 15 km (9.3 mi) to in excess of 100 km (62 mi).
The Scaled Composites Model 318 White Knight (now also called White Knight One) is a jet-powered carrier aircraft that was used to launch its companion SpaceShipOne, an experimental spaceplane. The White Knight and SpaceShipOne were designed by Burt Rutan and manufactured by Scaled Composites , a private company founded by Rutan in 1982.
It also broke the record altitude of 354,200 feet (107.96 km) for a rocket plane, set by the X-15 in 1963. After apogee, SpaceShipOne reentered the atmosphere in its feathered configuration, and then changed to gliding configuration at 07:57. SpaceShipOne then glided back to the spaceport, deployed landing gear at 4,200 feet (1.28 km), and ...
SpaceShip III (SS3, also with Roman numeral III; formerly SpaceShipThree) is an upcoming class of spaceplanes by Virgin Galactic to follow SpaceShipTwo. It was first teased on the Virgin Galactic Twitter account on 25 February 2021 announcing the rollout of the first SpaceShip III plane on 30 March 2021. [34]
Built from lightweight carbon-composite materials and powered by a hybrid rocket motor, SS2 was based on the Ansari X Prize-winning SpaceShipOne concept – a rocket plane that was lifted initially by a carrier aircraft before independent launch. SS1 became the world's first private spaceship with a series of high-altitude flights in 2004. [167]
On the same day, Paul Allen, one of the founders of Microsoft, confirmed publicly the rumors that he was the angel investor behind the SpaceShipOne venture. On April 1, 2004, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued the company what it called the world's first license for a sub-orbital crewed rocket flight. [13]
Four US presidents flew aboard the Air Force One plane known as SAM 970. SAM (Special Air Missions) 970, a US Air Force jet plane, in 1974. ... The presidential conference room featured more space ...
In 2008, Virgin Galactic ordered two White Knight Two vehicles. [6] Together, WK2 and SS2 were to form the basis for Virgin Galactic's fleet of suborbital spaceplanes.. In November 2010, The Spaceship Company had announced that it planned to build at least three additional White Knight Two aircraft and an additional five SpaceShipTwo rocket planes, the aircraft to be built by Virgin after the ...