VSS Unity VP-03 facts for kids
VSS Unity in February 2016
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| Mission type | Crewed suborbital spaceflight |
|---|---|
| Operator | Virgin Galactic |
| Apogee | 82.7 kilometres (51.4 miles) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | VSS Unity |
| Spacecraft type | SpaceShipTwo |
| Manufacturer | The Spaceship Company |
| Crew | |
| Members |
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| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 13 December 2018 |
| Launch site | Mojave Runway 30 |
| Deployed from | VMS Eve |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 13 December 2018 |
| Landing site | Mojave Runway 30 |
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VP-03 was a special test flight of the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft, VSS Unity. It happened on December 13, 2018. Two pilots, Mark P. Stucky and Frederick W. Sturckow, flew the spacecraft.
VSS Unity was carried high into the sky by a larger plane called White Knight Two. Once high enough, VSS Unity was released and flew on its own. The spacecraft reached a height of about 82.7 kilometers (51.4 miles). This height is considered space by the United States. However, it was just below the Kármán line, which is 100 kilometers (62 miles) high. The Kármán line is the internationally recognized boundary of space.
This flight was run by Virgin Galactic. This is a private company started by Richard Branson. He later flew into space himself in 2021. The VP-03 flight was the first time people flew into space from the U.S. since the Space Shuttle program ended in 2011.
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Meet the Crew
| Position | Astronaut | |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Mark P. Stucky Only spaceflight |
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| Co-Pilot | Frederick "CJ" Sturckow Fifth spaceflight |
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The two brave pilots on the VP-03 flight were Mark Stucky and Frederick "CJ" Sturckow.
Mark Stucky, Pilot
Mark Stucky was the main pilot for this flight. He was a test pilot for many years. He helped develop the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. Before joining Virgin Galactic, he was even the president of a group for experimental test pilots.
Frederick Sturckow, Co-Pilot
Frederick "CJ" Sturckow was the co-pilot. He is a very experienced astronaut. Before joining Virgin Galactic, he was a NASA astronaut. He flew on the Space Shuttle four times! This flight was his fifth trip into space.
How Private Space Travel Began
For a long time, only countries and government groups like NASA sent people into space. But in the early 2000s, this started to change. New private companies began to work on space travel.
Early Private Spacecraft
Companies like Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic were started. In 2004, a spacecraft called SpaceShipOne made history. It was the first private craft to carry humans into space. Pilots Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie flew SpaceShipOne. They went higher than 100 kilometers, crossing the Kármán line.
SpaceShipOne was carried into the sky by a "mother ship" called White Knight. It was designed by Burt Rutan. He also started the company that built it.
Building SpaceShipTwo
In 2005, Burt Rutan and Richard Branson teamed up. They started The Spaceship Company. Their goal was to build a fleet of spacecraft for Virgin Galactic. This led to the creation of SpaceShipTwo. Its mother ship was called White Knight Two.
The first SpaceShipTwo was named VSS Enterprise. Its mother ship was VMS Eve. These spacecraft fly in a similar way to the old North American X-15 spaceplane.
A New Spacecraft: VSS Unity
Sadly, in 2014, the VSS Enterprise had an accident. Its co-pilot, Michael Alsbury, died, and the lead pilot was hurt. After this, a second SpaceShipTwo was built. This new spacecraft was named VSS Unity. It was finished in 2016 and began its test flights.
The VP-03 Flight
On December 13, 2018, the VMS Eve carried VSS Unity high into the sky. When they reached about 43,000 feet (13 kilometers), VMS Eve released VSS Unity.
Pilots Mark Stucky and Frederick Sturckow then flew Unity even higher. It reached a top speed of Mach 2.9. This means it flew almost three times the speed of sound! The spacecraft went up to 82.7 kilometers (51.4 miles). This was above the 50-mile limit that the U.S. uses for space. However, it was just below the 62-mile (100 km) Kármán line.
Both spacecraft, VMS Eve and VSS Unity, landed safely after the flight. Virgin Galactic and Richard Branson shared news about the flight online.
