Virgin Galactic continues to grow its fleet of suborbital vehicles and unveils the new VSS Imagine.
The first thing that catches the eye about Richard Branson's new “spaceship” is its mirror finish. The livery dynamically reflects its surroundings and continually changes color and appearance as it travels from earth to sky and space.
The VSS Imagine is a silver bullet designed for more efficient manufacturing and faster reuse than Starship II, the latest version of Virgin's space tourism vehicles.
A platform for space tourism of the near future
Virgin Galactic has designed its Starship III spacecraft with a modular design that will lay the foundation for the design and production of future vehicles. The spacecraft will begin ground testing, with glide flights scheduled for this summer from the US spaceport in New Mexico.
The introduction of its Class III spacecraft is a major milestone in Virgin Galactic's multi-year effort to aims to reach the figure of 400 flights per year per spaceport.
Richard Branson's satisfaction
Virgin Galactic spaceships are purpose-built to bring a new perspective to the thousands of people who will soon be able to experience the wonder of spaceflight. As a Class III starship, VSS Imagine is not only beautiful to look at, but represents all the great accomplishments, creations and changes that begin with an idea.
Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic