The Virgin SpaceShip Two took off from the Mojave Air and Space Port at approximately 7:22 a.m. PST as it was strapped to the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft, where the latter brought the former to approximately 46,000 feet. Virgin Galactic Pilot Mike Masucci and Scaled Test Pilot Mike Alsbury were at the controls, and this particular test leads the SpaceShip Two one step closer to its ultimate goal as Sir Richard Branson put it succinctly, “’2014 will be the year we will finally put our beautiful spaceship in her natural environment of space. Today, we had our own Chief Pilot flying another flawless supersonic flight and proving the various systems required to take us safely to space, as well as providing the very best experience while we’re up there.”
When WhiteKnightTwo dropped the plane, the SpaceShip Two then relied on its own rocket motor in order roar to 71,000 feet high, setting a new record along the way.