Virgin Galactic tests VSS Unity braking system for reentry

Virgin Galactic successfully tested the upgraded braking system for the first time during a test flight with the VSS Unity. This was the fourth unpowered gliding flight since the previous version of the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft crashed in 2014.

The VSS Unity was uncoupled from the carrier aircraft White Knight Two at an altitude of more than 15 km. The purpose of the test flight was to test the redesigned braking system, which rotates the twin tailpiece 90 degrees, creating a larger surface area and allowing for a slower and safer descent through the atmosphere. The system test and test flight have been successfully completed.

The updated braking system includes a mechanical pin that should prevent the braking system from being disengaged prematurely. This happened during a test flight in 2014, during which the system was activated too early. The aircraft, the VSS Enterprise, broke up in flight and crashed to Earth. One test pilot was killed and another seriously injured. Before this accident in 2014, the affected version of the spacecraft had already completed 55 test flights, reaching a maximum altitude of 22km during powered flights.

The device will eventually accommodate six space tourists, who will experience weightlessness for about five minutes. Tickets will cost $250,000 each. It is not yet clear when the first commercial space flights will take place. Several powered test flights still need to be performed first.