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Virgin Galactic’s first SpaceShipTwo test flight from Spaceport America took wing on Friday, May 1, marking the inaugural solo flight of VSS Unity in New Mexico. Pilots Dave Mackay and CJ Sturckow, together with the team in Mission Control, executed take-off and landing, along with high-altitude release from the mothership, VMS Eve, which was piloted by Michael Masucci and Kelly Latimer. The vehicles climbed to an altitude of 50,000 feet before Unity was released, at which point VSS Unity flew freely for the first time in New Mexico airspace, achieving a glide speed of Mach 0.70 and completing multiple test-points, before a smooth runway landing at Spaceport America
