Virgin Galactic transportation system
Virgin Galactic uses an air launched spacecraft system.
The spacecrafts which have been built up to now are designed for suborbital flights with a maximum velocity of MACH 3. The rocket powered spacecraft are launched from a jet-powered carrier aircraft.
Two spacecrafts have been built:
SpaceShip One, which is a prototype to validate its design and its technology
SpaceShip Two is basically a scalled up version of SpaceShip One
A third class of spacecrafts, SpaceShip III, is in development and will be manufactured in Arizona.
Two carrier aircrafts have been built:
White Knight One to bring SpaceShip One at a launch altitide of about 15 km;
White Knight Two to bring SpaceShip Two and in the near future SpaceShip III at a launch altitude of 15 km.
The Spaceship Company and Scaled Composites
The spacecrafts are designed and built by The Spaceship Company (TSC).
The carrier aircrafts are designed and built by Scaled Composites, an aeropsace company owned by Northrop Grumman.
Until 2012 TSC was jointly owned by the Virgin Group (70%) and by Scaled Composites (30%). In 2012 the Virgin Group acquired the 30% share from Scaled Composites and became the sole owner of TSC.
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