A Virgin Galactic unveiled today (30/03) the first new generation spacecraft in its fleet, the VSS Imagine. This new space vehicle concentrates all the technologies developed by the company until then, including the latest suborbital flights.
The company of eccentric billionaire Richard Branson estimates that VSS Imagine will be ready to start testing later this year. On the ground, the VSS Imagine must test its systems, and at the end of the year, perform gliding flights from SpacePort America, using the SpaceShip III launch vehicle.
As VSS Imagine begins ground testing, manufacturing will move forward on the VSS Inspire, the second SpaceShip III vehicle in Virgin Galactic's fleet.
The introduction of the Spacecraft Series III class of vehicles is a major milestone in Virgin Galactic's multi-year effort, which aims to fly 400 flights a year. The new spacecraft has considerable technological advances, and promises a lower maintenance cost compared to to VSS Unity, which is already flying.
The fully silver paint will always be used as a feature by Virgin Galactic to lower the temperature of the fuselage when exposed to sunlight.
Future astronauts are invited to be a part of every step of Virgin Galactic's journey. One of Virgin Galactic's future astronauts, Dee Chester, had a unique opportunity to play his part in the launch of the VSS Imagine, as his Astronaut Edition Range Rover towed the new craft out of the hangar for the first time.
More than 600 people have paid or made deposits to fly aboard Virgin's suborbital missions, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and singer Justin Bieber. A 90-minute flight costs $250.
