SpaceShipTwo First Powered Flight

On April 29, 2013, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle fired its engine in flight for the first time to surpass Mach 1, after being dropped from the company's WhiteKnightTwo carrier airplane. Mark Stucky (pilot) and Mike Alsbury (co-pilot) were at the controls of SS2 for the test, flown over Mojave, California. Both are test pilots for Scaled Composites, who built the spaceship. In this first test, the engine burned for 16 seconds, and the vehicle reached an altitude of 55,000 feet. The company plans more powered tests this year, and expects SpaceShipTwo to reach the edge of space - above 62 miles -- before the end of 2013. Video: Virgin Galactic (2:58)

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Preview thumbnail for video'Excerpt:

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Preview thumbnail for video'STS-1: The First Shuttle Landing

Before John Young and Robert Crippens STS-1 mission in April 1981, no astronauts had ever landed a spaceship on a runway. In their postflight briefing, Young (the first voice in this clip) and pilot Crippen describe their first-time return of a shuttle from orbit, during which the vehicle executed a series of S-turns, or roll reversals, like a skier slaloming downhill to manage speed.

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Preview thumbnail for video'Intelsat Rescue

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Preview thumbnail for video'STS-51A: Life on a Small Spaceship

In the early days of the shuttle program, NASA wasnt sure how crews of five, six, and seven people would fare in the limited space of the orbiter. Here the crew of STS-51A, who flew in November 1984, give a tour of the upper and lower decks. Onboard were Rick Hauck, Dave Walker, Joe Allen, Anna Fisher, and Dale Gardner. Allen, who had been an astronaut since 1967 but hadnt flown until 1982, was making his second flight.

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Preview thumbnail for video'To Space and BackTrailer

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Preview thumbnail for video'SOFIA Opens Its Door

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Preview thumbnail for video'Flight of the Pongsats

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