Green light to test flight of Virgin Galactic

Science and techno world topic: Space

MADRID, May 31 - The company Virgin Galactic, which has offered the first tourist flights into space, has obtained permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of USA, for an experimental launch of a rocket propelled and a suborbital flight before their first travel with crew.

As explained by the company on its Web site with this grant will launch an internship with the suborbital craft 'SpaceShipTwo' and the carriers 'WhiteKnightTwo'.

The CEO of Virgin Galactic, George Whitesides, has indicated that this is "an important milestone that will enable the testing team and advance stage rocket powered." "This brings us to bring our customers into space," he noted.

In recent months, SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo have made "significant progress" in its flight test program, according to noted the company, who has indicated that they have completed 80 test flights.

The first flight into space tourist is scheduled for 2013 and there are more than 500 customers who have signed up to fly on SpaceShipTwo, a ship of two pilots and six passengers. The suborbital flight, which cost $ 200,000 (about 148,000 euros) per person, are designed to reach a height of about 109 km), giving passengers a few minutes to experience weightlessness and see the Earth against the blackness of space .

Virgin Galactic, Virgin Group's Richard Branson, is the best known of all the companies that are making spaceships for tourism, research, education and business. Meanwhile, SpaceShipTwo is the first of five that make up its fleet.