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The first spaceplane of the SpaceShip 3 project, called VSS Imagine, was presented in the United States.
In the near future, Virgin Galactic intends to conduct ground tests of the spaceplane, according to the company's website.
In the summer of 2021, the spaceplane will be tested by passive flight - it will be dropped from a carrier plane, after that it will land at the «America» cosmodrome in New Mexico.
Spaceplanes Virgin Galactic: what are the differences between SpaceShip 3 and SpaceShipTwo.
Presented spaceplane SpaceShip 3 has no significant technical differences from SpaceShipTwo. The glider of the new spaceplane has a reflecting coating: it is designed to provide aesthetic pleasure to the audience, as well as to protect the glider of the spaceplane from heating.
The developers do not mention any other differences between SpaceShip 3 and SpaceShipTwo. Virgin Galactic spaceplanes are designed for short tourist flights into outer space without entering orbit. The launch of the spaceplane has two stages. First, the carrier aircraft lifts it to a height of 15 kilometers, after which the craft turns on its own engine and continues flight on its own. Upon completion of the flight, the spaceplane lands at the spaceport.
The SpaceShipTwo is designed to carry six passengers. The crew consists of two pilots. Virgin Galactic expects to begin providing short tourist space travel services in 2022.
Source: UNIAN