Virgin Galactic Shows Off SpaceShip Two Test Flight Tail-Cam Video

It won't be long now before those who can afford it are able to enjoy a luxury trip to space as Virgin Galactic conducts its second test that takes SpaceShip Two once more beyond the sound barrier. This time around, the company is trotting out a video that gives us a glimpse of how things might look like way up there beyond the clouds.

Early this month, Virgin galactic conducted its second test of its space-fairing aircraft SpaceShip Two, what the company is calling the highest commercial winged vehicle in human history. In its first supersonic test in April, SpaceShip Two broke the speed of sound at Mach 1.2 reaching a height of 55,000 feet. But Virgin Galactic was apparently not yet done if it wants to take would-be passengers 364,000 feet above the earth's surface.

This time around, its carrier plane WhiteKnight Two reached an altitude of 46,000 feet before releasing SpaceShip Two. Then, using rocket power, the craft went up to 69,000 feet at speeds of Mach 1.43, setting a new record for the vehicle and taking Virgin Galactic one step closer to its goals. Virgin Galactic has released a second video that should give interested parties something to drool over.

This new video released by the company gives watchers a different vantage point, that from a tail-cam on SpaceShip Two, giving viewers a chance to see what passengers would be able to see during their flight. Also detailed again in the video is Virgin Galactic's unique re-entry system called the "feather position", where the tail and wing sections rotate to an upward position to give a smoother and slower descent like that of a shuttlecock.

With this new milestone, Virgin Galactic is prepping for other details for its space program, including designing cabin interiors, flight suits, and training. The company is confident that it will reach its schedule on time for a commercial launch in 2014.

VIA: The Huffington Post