January 23, 2008 11:56 AM PST
Here's what Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo will look like mounted on its "mother ship," WhiteKnightTwo.
The WhiteKnightTwo aircraft, expected to be ready for test flights this summer, is a high-altitude aircraft that will fly SpaceShipTwo to the upper atmosphere. SpaceShipTwo will then "air launch" in a way that Virgin Galactic executives say will be more energy-efficient (carbon emissions per passenger are expected to be about 60 percent of what they would be on a commercial flight from New York to London) and safer than a traditional ground launch.
Photo by Virgin Galactic
