By Sebastian Lander
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Virgin Galactic has revealed that it expects to make rocket-powered test flights of its passenger spaceship later this year, bringing space tourism one step closer.
The company - the brainchild of pioneering Sir Richard Branson - said its spaceship builder partner, Scaled Composites, has been granted an experimental permit from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
That means it will be allowed to proceed with rocket-powered test flights.
Lift off: WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo - mothership and spacecraft - stretch their wings
A post on the company's website said: 'Scaled expects to begin rocket-powered, supersonic flights under the just-issued experimental permit toward the end of the year.'
No timetable has been set for the first launches carrying paying customers, but that is expected to be confirmed after the test program is complete.
More than 500 people, including actor Ashton Kutcher, have signed up with Virgin Galactic for a chance to experience weightlessness during suborbital flights.
Sir Richard and his children Sam and Holly are also set to be among the first commercial passengers on SpaceShipTwo.
Base: Virgin Galactic will be based at Spaceport America in New Mexico
Virgin Galactic and the California-based Scaled Composites have been glide-testing their six-passenger vehicle SpaceShipTwo, which is air-launched from a twin-fuselage carrier airplane called WhiteKnightTwo.
Work is under way to integrate the rocket motor into SpaceShipTwo in preparation to test the 'aerodynamic performance of the spacecraft'.
Virgin Galactic said SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo have made 'significant progress' in their flight test program, with a total of almost 100 completed.
'This important milestone enables our team to progress to the rocket-powered phase of test flight, bringing us a major step closer to bringing our customers to space,' said George Whitesides, president and CEO of Virgin Galactic.
Thumbs up: Sir Richard Branson inside VMS Eve, the WhiteKnightTwo mothership
Doug Shane, president of Scaled, added: 'The spaceship program is making steady progress, and we are all looking forward to lighting the vehicle’s rocket engine in flight for the first time.'
According to Virgin Galactic, the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation issues permits 'after it has determined that the vehicle operator has taken the appropriate steps to protect the public during testing.'
The starting price for space flights is £130,000 with refundable deposits starting from £13,000.
Virgin Galactic will be based at Spaceport America, a purpose-built spaceline terminal designed by architect Sir Norman Foster, based in New Mexico.
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