Scaled Composites Spaceshiptwo

Single Jet

SpaceShipTwo is a rocket-powered suborbital spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites for Virgin Galactic's commercial spaceflight program. Designed by Burt Rutan's team and first flown in 2010, it represents the only operational air-launched crewed spacecraft carrying paying passengers to the edge of space. The vehicle is carried aloft by the WhiteKnightTwo mothership to approximately 50,000 feet, then released to ignite its hybrid rocket motor and climb to altitudes exceeding 50 miles—crossing the internationally recognized boundary of space. Unlike traditional spacecraft that launch vertically atop expendable rockets, SpaceShipTwo's air-launch architecture and feathering reentry system allow it to glide back to a conventional runway landing. The hybrid rocket motor burns hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene fuel with nitrous oxide oxidizer, producing roughly 60,000 pounds of thrust for approximately one minute. Peak velocity reaches Mach 3 during the boost phase, with passengers experiencing several minutes of weightlessness at apogee before the feathered descent begins. The unique feathering mechanism—where the tail booms rotate upward to increase drag and stability during reentry—was inspired by shuttlecocks and provides passive atmospheric braking without requiring pilot input. The program has faced significant challenges, including the 2014 loss of VSS Enterprise during a test flight, which led to extensive redesigns and safety reviews. The second-generation vehicle VSS Unity completed Virgin Galactic's first commercial spaceflight in June 2023, marking the transition from test program to revenue service. SkyMeter has tracked 2 flights across 1 airframes and 1 operators, with VANEK JIM the largest observed operator.