Virgin Galactic’s second spaceship, the VSS Enterprise, has completed its first captive carry flight from Mojave Air and Spaceport.

The commercial spaceline is the world’s first manned commercial spaceship, and will carry up to six passenger astronauts and two pilot astronauts into space on a sub-orbital flight.

The VSS Enterprise is attached to the WK2 mothership, which will carry the spaceline to an altitude of around 1,500ft, from where the spaceship fires its rocket motor and launch into space.

The spaceship will be propelled by a hybrid rocket motor currently under development, while the WK2 will be powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308A engines.

The VSS Enterprise test flight programme will continue through 2010 and 2011, and progress from captive carry to independent glide and then powered flight, before commercial operations start.

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