It’s been nearly a year and a half since enthusiasts and experts alike were stunned by the crash of SpaceShipTwo. It was a devastating blow to the company and to the entire concept of space tourism in general, but the future always gives a second chance. This time, that chance comes in the form of the VSS Unity. The new spacecraft will require several months of ground testing before its first flight, but one thing is certain: the project is very much alive.
The Crash of October 2014
October 31, 2014 is a date that will be remembered forever. That day, we saw the crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, an accident that took the life of co-pilot Michael Alsbury. Those who access the official investigation will find that the cause of the accident was “human error” (the co-pilot prematurely activated the descent system), but at the same time, should have existed additional safety measures in the ship's design to prevent it. The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) report was harsh, but necessary. And Virgin Galactic has spent the past year and a half not only correcting all the technical problems of SpaceShipTwo, but also keeping the flame of space tourism alive.
Introducing the VSS Unity
The answer bears the name VSS Unity. In a well-attended presentation (which of course included Sir Richard Branson in one of the hangars his company owns in the Mojave Desert), George Whitesides, current CEO of Virgin Galactic, explained that the VSS Unity shares the same fuselage and propulsion system as the VSS Enterprise (SpaceShipTwo), but emphasized that the major changes were implemented on the descent system (also known as the “feather mechanism”), which now has a “mechanical pin” designed to prevent its activation when the spacecraft is in a potentially unsafe phase.
Testing and the Road Ahead
With its public presentation, the VSS Unity leaves its construction phase to fully enter the testing phase. Naturally, during the first months, tests will be carried out on the ground, and although no specific details were given, the spacecraft should be capable of flying before the end of the year if everything goes well. Regarding the economic situation of the project, Whitesides said that only “a couple dozen” people requested refunds after the accident, a situation that was offset by additional sales. The story of Virgin Galactic is not over, and personally, I am glad to know it.
