# SpaceShipTwo

> suborbital, air-launched spaceplane

**Wikidata**: [Q754806](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q754806)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipTwo)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/spaceshiptwo

## Summary
SpaceShipTwo is a suborbital, air-launched spaceplane designed to carry humans, operated by Virgin Galactic and built by Scaled Composites and The Spaceship Company.

## Key Facts
- A suborbital spaceplane classified as a crewed spacecraft, designed to carry humans.  
- First flight occurred on April 29, 2013.  
- Operated by Virgin Galactic.  
- Follows SpaceShipOne (a predecessor suborbital spaceplane) and is followed by the planned SpaceShip III.  
- Total produced: 2 vehicles.  
- Manufacturer includes Scaled Composites (for VSS Enterprise) and The Spaceship Company (for VSS Unity).  
- Country of origin: United States.  
- Subclass of both sub-orbital spaceplane and crewed spacecraft.  

## FAQs
### Q: What is SpaceShipTwo used for?
A: It is a suborbital, air-launched spaceplane designed to carry humans on suborbital flights, operated by Virgin Galactic.  
### Q: When did SpaceShipTwo first fly?
A: Its first flight was on April 29, 2013.  
### Q: Who operates SpaceShipTwo?
A: Virgin Galactic operates SpaceShipTwo.  
### Q: What is the relationship between SpaceShipTwo and SpaceShipOne?
A: SpaceShipTwo follows SpaceShipOne in the suborbital spaceplane lineage, serving as a larger, improved successor to the pioneering SpaceShipOne.  

## Why It Matters
SpaceShipTwo played a pivotal role in advancing commercial suborbital spaceflight, serving as the primary vehicle for Virgin Galactic’s efforts to offer space tourism. As a successor to the X Prize-winning SpaceShipOne, it represented a significant step toward private, human-carrying suborbital missions. Its development and early flights (including the 2013 first flight) helped validate air-launched spaceplane technology, paving the way for continued commercial suborbital operations via vehicles like VSS Unity. The project also highlighted the collaboration between Scaled Composites and The Spaceship Company in advancing private aerospace capabilities, contributing to the broader growth of the commercial space industry.

## Notable For
- First suborbital flight by a Virgin Galactic vehicle (SpaceShipTwo’s 2013 first flight).  
- Part of the lineage that includes SpaceShipOne (pioneering suborbital flight) and the planned SpaceShip III.  
- Built by two key private aerospace firms: Scaled Composites (for VSS Enterprise) and The Spaceship Company (for VSS Unity).  
- Operated to carry humans on suborbital journeys, advancing commercial space tourism.  

## Body
### Technical Specifications
- **Design Classification**: Suborbital spaceplane, crewed spacecraft.  
- **First Flight**: April 29, 2013.  
- **Manufacturer**: Scaled Composites (applies to VSS Enterprise) and The Spaceship Company (applies to VSS Unity).  
- **Total Produced**: 2 vehicles.  
- **Country of Origin**: United States.  

### Operational History
- **Operator**: Virgin Galactic.  
- **Predecessor**: SpaceShipOne (a suborbital, air-launched spaceplane that won the X Prize).  
- **Successor**: SpaceShip III (planned suborbital, air-launched spaceplane).  
- **Current Use**: VSS Unity (one of the two produced SpaceShipTwo vehicles) continues commercial suborbital flights.  

### Classification Details
- **Subclass**: Sub-orbital spaceplane and crewed spacecraft.  
- **Instance Type**: Vehicle model.  

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "SpaceShipTwo",
  "description": "suborbital, air-launched spaceplane",
  "sameAs": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q328", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipTwo"],
  "additionalType": "VehicleModel"
}

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. Quora