Unity 22 reaches the edge of space

2. 7. 2021 0 By Space Seeker

Six person crew including founder Sir Richard Branson flew to the edge of space onboard SpaceShipTwo on July 11th.

WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft reached the release altitude above 45,000 feet. VSS Unity was dropped at 9:25 AM MDT (15:25 UTC) before igniting the hybrid rocket engine for sixty seconds of powered ascent. After reaching top speed of Mach 3, altitude of around 80 km, spending 5 minutes in weightlessness, spacecraft landed back on runway in Spaceport America.

Photo by nasaspaceflight