VSS Unity VP-03
First crewed spaceflight from U.S. soil since 2011.
VP-03 was a sub-orbital flight of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo-class vehicle VSS Unity, flown on 13 December 2018. Mark P. Stucky served as lead pilot, with Frederick W. “CJ” Sturckow as co-pilot. The spacecraft was carried to an altitude of about 43,000 feet by the White Knight Two mother ship, then released. It reached a peak altitude of 82.7 kilometers (51.4 miles), crossing the 50-mile (80-kilometer) threshold that the United States recognizes as the boundary of space, but not the 100-kilometer Kármán line used by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Notably, this was the first crewed spaceflight launched from U.S. soil since the final Space Shuttle mission, STS-135, in 2011—though it is worth noting that Blue Origin's New Shepard had already conducted crewed suborbital flights from U.S. soil earlier in 2021, including the first crewed flight (NS-16) in July 2021.
The flight marked a shift from the 20th-century model of government-run spaceflight, which had been dominated by agencies like NASA. In the early 2000s, private companies including Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic were founded. In 2004, SpaceShipOne, designed by Burt Rutan and built by Scaled Composites, became the first private craft to carry humans above 100 kilometers on three sub-orbital flights piloted by Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie. That vehicle was carried aloft by the White Knight mother ship. In 2005, Rutan and Richard Branson co-founded The Spaceship Company to build a fleet for Virgin Galactic, resulting in SpaceShipTwo and the White Knight Two carrier. The first SpaceShipTwo, VSS Enterprise, was lost in a breakup on 31 October 2014, killing co-pilot Michael Alsbury and seriously injuring pilot Peter Siebold. The second craft, VSS Unity, was completed in 2016.
Stucky had been a test pilot at Scaled Composites and joined Virgin Galactic in January 2015, having worked closely on SpaceShipTwo’s development. Sturckow, a retired NASA astronaut and veteran of four Space Shuttle missions (STS-88, STS-105, STS-117, and STS-128), had joined Virgin Galactic in May 2013.
On 13 December 2018, Unity was released from VMS Eve at 43,000 feet. Stucky and Sturckow flew the craft to Mach 2.9 and an apogee of 82.7 kilometers. Both vehicles landed safely. The flight was promoted online by Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson, and others.
Quick Facts
- Mission Type
- Crewed suborbital spaceflight
- Operator
- Virgin Galactic
- Suborbital Apogee
- 82.7 km
- Spacecraft
- VSS Unity
- Spacecraft Type
- SpaceShipTwo
- Manufacturer
- The Spaceship Company
- Crew Members
- Mark Stucky · Frederick Sturckow
- Launch Date
- 13 December 2018
- Launch Site
- Mojave Runway 30
- Deployment From
- VMS Eve
- Programme
- VSS Unity spaceflights
- Next Mission
- VF-01
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
VP-03 was the fourth powered test flight of VSS Unity, the second SpaceShipTwo craft built after the destruction of VSS Enterprise in 2014. The flight was carried aloft by the White Knight Two carrier plane VMS Eve, released at an altitude of 43,000 ft (13,000 m). The spacecraft reached a maximum Mach of 2.9 and an apogee of 82.7 km (51.4 mi), surpassing the U.S. space boundary of 50 mi but falling short of the internationally recognized Kármán line at 100 km. Both craft landed safely.
Pilot Mark P. Stucky, a former Scaled Composites test pilot, had been closely involved with SpaceShipTwo development and served as president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. Co-pilot Frederick 'CJ' Sturckow, a retired NASA astronaut and four-time Space Shuttle veteran, had joined Virgin Galactic in May 2013. The flight was publicized via tweets by Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson, and related personnel.
Reader's Guide
VP-03 marked a milestone in private human spaceflight, being the first crewed spaceflight from U.S. soil since the Space Shuttle's final mission in 2011. It demonstrated the viability of Virgin Galactic's sub-orbital space tourism program, though it fell short of the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. The flight received congratulations from the Federal Aviation Administration, which awarded the pilots astronaut wings, and from figures including U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. However, it also drew criticism from astronaut Andy Thomas, who characterized the sub-orbital program as a high-altitude airplane flight and a dangerous one. The flight highlighted ongoing debates over the definition of spaceflight and the role of private companies in human space exploration.
Did You Know?
- VP-03 is also referred to in some sources as PF04.
- The flight satisfied the United States definition of spaceflight (50 mi) but fell short of the Kármán line (100 km), the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale definition.
- Co-pilot Frederick 'CJ' Sturckow was a retired NASA astronaut who had flown on STS-88, STS-105, STS-117, and STS-128.
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