The SpaceShipTwo is Virgin Galactic‘s follow-up to the company’s previous spaceship, which suffered an unfortunate demise.
The company’s first attempt at creating private space tourism crashed during a test launch in 2014, killing a test pilot. Virgin Galactic is hope to avoid its past mistakes with the SpaceShipTwo.
Richard Branson and his company will unveil the vessel Friday at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Virgin Galactic will do much more testing with the SpaceShipTwo before taking a solo flight in order to ensure its safety.
“If you are expecting SpaceShipTwo to blast off and head straight to space on the day we unveil her, let us disillusion you now: this will be a ground-based celebration,” according to a press release by Virgin Galactic.
The SpaceShipTwo is similar to its predecessor as it will benefit by using data from 55 successful test flights. Following extensive testing, Virgin Galactic’s spacecraft will take passengers up 50 miles above Earth’s surface.
“One of the things that I think is most powerful is that we’ll be able to get a new perspective on our planet as hundreds and eventually millions of people are able to go into space,” said George Whitesides, the company’s CEO.
The idea of space tourism has attracted more than 700 people who have already signed up to fly on Virgin Galactic. Each seat will cost $250,000.
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