White Knight 2 is the name of Virgin Galactic's "mothership," a plane designed to reach a height of 50,000 feet in order to propel manned spacecraft SpaceShipTwo into suborbital space and back.Tech Digest: Branson Unveils White Knight II - Virgin Galactic's Commercial Spaceship (July 28, 2008)
Riding in the White Knight 2
Designed by the firm Scaled Composites, the White Knight 2 is made almost entirely of carbon composite fiber.Gizmodo: First Virgin Galactic White Knight II Photos (July 28, 2008) Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson hopes to begin taking paying passengers aboard the White Knight 2 and SpaceShipTwo by 2012.Jaunted: Virgin Galactic Coverage (July 28, 2008) (Time: 0:24) As of late July 2008, 270 people have placed deposits of up to $200,000 apiece to take the planned voyage into suborbital space.Jaunted: Virgin Galactic Coverage (July 28, 2008) (Time: 0:24) Space.com: Virgin Galactic Spaceline: Mega-Mothership Set for Rollout Debut (June 6, 2008)
White Knight 2 News
- LiveScience: Space Ship Two: Eerily Familiar… (January 25, 2008)
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Made entirely of carbon composite fiber except for engines and landing gearGizmodo: First Virgin Galactic White Knight II Photos (July 28, 2008)
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