Watch footage from Virgin Galactic’s third supersonic test flight

Six-hundred people have already signed up for a space flight at a cost of $250,000 each.

On January 10, Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial space carrier, launched its third supersonic test flight from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The test flight was flown by Chief Pilot Dave Mackay and Scaled Composites’ Test Pilot Mark Stucky and reached a final altitude of 71,000 ft. The purpose of the flight was the testing of SpaceShipTwo’s Reaction Control System and and newly installed thermal protection coating.

Chief Pilot Dave Mackay said:

“I have watched SS2 evolve over the years into an incredible vehicle that is going to open up space to more people than ever before. To be behind the controls and fly it as the rocket ignited is something I will never forget. She flew brilliantly. All the tests went really well and generated vital data that will be used to further fine-tune our operations.”

This footage from the test flight was released by Virgin Galactic yesterday.

The first official Virgin Galactic flight, carrying company owner Richard Branson and his family, is expected to take place later this year, with paid passenger flights beginning soon after. NBC Universal has recently signed a deal to broadcast the inaugural flight.

Virgin Galactic’s reservation system for future flights is already up and running. According to the company, 600 people have already signed up for a space flight at a cost of $250,000 each.