Virgin Galactic’s inventory soared 13.5% on Wednesday as the corporate’s WhiteKnightTwo mothership took to the skies for the primary time in additional than 15 months. The inventory rose by $0.71 from its shut on Tuesday to shut right this moment at $6.01 as information of the flight check from the Mojave Air and House Port at Rutan Subject in California unfold on social media.
WhiteKnightTwo VMS Eve took off from runway 30 at 10:30 a.m. PST. It landed 2 hours 33 minutes later after hovering as excessive as 41,425 toes over the Mojave Desert.
The 14.5 12 months outdated plane, which air launches the SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity suborbital rocket airplane, has been present process a collection of modifications in Mojave since Oct. 30, 2021. The profitable flight check is among the main milestones earlier than VMS Eve returns to its operational base at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
Virgin Galactic plans to conduct yet one more flight check of VSS Unity in New Mexico in the course of the first quarter of the 12 months. The flight could have 4 firm workers within the passenger cabin to check the expertise.
That flight check might be adopted by a paid flight that may carry three Italian Air Power pilots. Virgin Galactic will then start flying the primary of 900 ticket holders, a few of whom first put down cash when Virgin Galactic started promoting tickets in 2005.
Virgin Galactic initially offered tickets for $200,000; it raised the value to $250,000 in 2013. The worth has since been elevated to $450,000.
