Commercial Space Travel

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has partnered with Virgin Galactic to develop a supersonic vehicle for point-to-point civil and commercial air travel. The new technology will leverage the company’s experience in designing and testing of their existing spaceflight system – SpaceShipTwo – a winged passenger space vehicle that launches from a carrier aircraft dubbed WhiteKnightTwo. The system is designed to take-off and land using traditional runways.

Like its predecessor, the new spacecraft will travel at the outer boundary of Earth’s atmosphere where friction and air resistance are low. This allows it to travel at more than four times the speed of traditional aircraft and greatly reduces fuel consumption. It will also offer passengers some breathtaking views and even a few minutes of weightlessness.

In addition to giving private individuals a chance to experience the wonders of space travel, the new spaceships will open up more opportunities for space-based research. Regularly scheduled flights will be operated out of the company’s specially-built commercial spaceport in New Mexico.