Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo is a suborbital spaceplane designed for commercial space tourism. Developed by Virgin Galactic, the company founded by Sir Richard Branson, SpaceShipTwo aims to offer paying customers a unique opportunity to experience space travel.
The SpaceShipTwo system includes a mothership, known as WhiteKnightTwo, which carries the spaceplane to high altitude, and the SpaceShipTwo itself. After release from the mothership, SpaceShipTwo's rocket engine ignites, propelling the spacecraft to the edge of space. Passengers experience a few minutes of weightlessness and are treated to breathtaking views of Earth before the spaceplane glides back to a runway landing.
Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo signifies the emergence of commercial space tourism, where private individuals can become astronauts for a brief journey. It represents a step forward in making space more accessible to a wider range of people and contributes to the growth of the space tourism industry.
