SpaceShipTwo first powered flight
SpaceShipTwo makes its first flight using rocket power. It takes off from the Movaje Space Port with the carrier vehicle, WhiteKnightTwo, and releases above 46,000 feet. Pilot Mark Stucky and co-pilot Mike Alsbury perform a 16-second test burn of the rocket engine to reach a maximum altitude of 56,000 feet and top speed of Mach 1.2 (the sound barrier is 761 mph at sea level). Virgin Galactic president:
The successful outcome of this test marks a pivotal point for our program. We will now embark on a handful of similar powered flight tests, and then make our first test flight to space.