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Virgin Atlantic Airways - Boeing 747-41R - G-VWOW (c/n 32745/1287) - Cosmic Girl
UPDATE (December 2015) "Cosmic Girl" was withdrawn from Virgin Atlantic operation in October 2015. She is slated to become Virgin Galactic's "LauncherOne" air-launched satellite lifter after modifications are made to strengthen the vestigial structure of the inboard left wing formerly intended to ferry a spare "fifth" engine to now hold a 55,000-lb. rocket.
UPDATE (January 2017) - On November 12, 2015 this aircraft was re-registered by Virgin Galactic as N744VG.
UPDATE (November 2017) - On March 2, 2017, Richard Branson announced the splitting of LauncherOne operations from Virgin Galactic to a new entity, Virgin Orbit.
SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo are parked after a successful and exciting ride to 77k feet. More details here:
www.virgingalactic.com/news/item/virgin-galactic-reaches-...
Signed in person by Dan Barry following his "Future of Space Exploration" presentation at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY, 26 Sept. 2016.
I missed out on Frederick "C.J." Sturckow in New York City that year. However, I was able to add him at the Commercial Astronaut Wings presentation for the VSS Unity crew at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, 7 Feb. 2019. (Sturckow was co-pilot during the fourth powered flight of VSS Unity, which exceeded 50 miles during that flight.)
Sure looks graceful in scale. It'll be something when Virgin Galactic gets going out of New Mexico. For more details: To learn more about this commercial space venture... go to www.virgingalactic.com/
Mojave goof-off session at Virgin Galactic's White Knight (EVE) unveiling, shot by Brian Lam (gizmodo.com)
A Range Rover Autobiography, the pinnacle of premium SUV luxury, took centre stage as it towed out the new Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo – officially christened VSS Unity – at a special reveal and naming ceremony at their Mojave Air and Space Port base in California, USA.
White Knight 2 AKA Eve, Virgin Galactic's launch platform for Spaceship 2 arriving at EAA Airventure 2009. This was her official public debut.
From left to right at podium, Sir Richard Branson and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, greet the crowd and bring them up to date on Spaceport America’s overall project progress and the terminal hangar facility.
Jim Spadaccini looking to the future
This image was taken on a recent tour of the Spaceport America construction site, near Truth or Consequences, NM USA.
Copyright Chad Person for Ideum, 2011
do not use without written permission
Virgin Galactic’s double fuselage mothership, White Knight Two, configured in a “captive carry” mode passes over the audience as New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and founder/owner of Virgin Galactic Sir Richard Branson address a crowd of about six hundred people during the runway dedication ceremony last Thursday at Spaceport America, in Upham, southeast of Truth or Consequences, N.M.
Virgin Atlantic Airways - Boeing 747-41R - G-VWOW (c/n 32745/1287) - Cosmic Girl
UPDATE (December 2015) "Cosmic Girl" was withdrawn from Virgin Atlantic operation in October 2015. She is slated to become Virgin Galactic's "LauncherOne" air-launched satellite lifter after modifications are made to strengthen the vestigial structure of the inboard left wing formerly intended to ferry a spare "fifth" engine to now hold a 55,000-lb. rocket.
UPDATE (January 2017) - On November 12, 2015 this aircraft was re-registered by Virgin Galactic as N744VG.
UPDATE (November 2017) - On March 2, 2017, Richard Branson announced the splitting of LauncherOne operations from Virgin Galactic to a new entity, Virgin Orbit.
The Scaled Composites SC348 White Knight Two has been designed to take the Scaled Composites SC339 Space Ship two to the edge of space with space tourists. It is a jet-powered cargo aircraft which has been designed multi-purpose use as a zero-g aircraft for passenger training or microgravity science flights, missions in high-altitude testing or be used to launch payloads other than SpaceShipTwo. Virgin Galactic has ordered two White Knight Twos. Virgin Galactic. The first White Knight Two is named VMS Eve after Richard Branson's mother; it was officially unveiled on July 28, 2008, and flew for the first time on December 21, 2008. The second is expected to be named VMS ''Spirit of Steve Fossett'' after Branson's close friend aviator, balloonist and sailor Steve Fossett, who died in an aircraft accident in 2007. Farnborough Airshow July 2012
WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo getting settled in for the almost hour long climb to release altitude for GF-28 on January 17th, 2014. Range 1.4 km (0.8 mi).
The Scaled Composites Model 348 WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) is a jet-powered carrier aircraft which will be used to launch the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. It is being developed by Scaled Composites as the first stage of Tier 1b, a two-stage to suborbital-space manned launch system. WK2 is based on the successful mothership to SpaceShipOne, White Knight, Model 348 WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) is a jet-powered carrier aircraft which will be used to launch the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. It is being developed by Scaled Composites as the first stage of Tier 1b, a two-stage to suborbital-space manned launch system. WK2 is based on the successful mothership to SpaceShipOne, White Knight, (AirVenture 2009)