PRESENCE HERE.
THEYVE GOT MUSIC PLAYING.
ITS GOING TO BE QUITE AN
EXPERIENCE ON THE GROUND.
>> LOOKS LIKE THEYRE ROLLING.
LETS WATCH, ITS ROLLING.
THIS IS VSS "UNITY" ON THE
MOTHER SHIP "EVE" GETTING READY.
WE BELIEVE ITS GOT GOOD SPEED
TO IT SO IT LOOKS LIKE THIS
MIGHT BE THE TAKE-OFF ROLL ON A
TWO-MILE RUNWAY AT SPACE PORT AMERICA.
LETS WATCH THIS GO.
AND WE HAVE LEFT-OFF OF THE VSS
"UNITY" ON THE MOTHER SHIP "EVE"
FROM SPACE PORT AMERICA IN NEW
MEXICO HEADED TO 50,000 FEET,
WHERE IT WILL DETACH THE ACTUAL
SPACECRAFT, THE VSS "UNITY,"
WHICH IS THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE.
>> IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL MINUTES
TO CLIMB TO ALTITUDE.
THIS IS IT FOR THE RELEASE OF
THE UNITY 22.
WELL LET YOU KNOW THE RELEASE
MOMENT AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN LOOK
AT THE SKY OVER SPACE PORT TO
SEE ALL THE ACTION.
>> AND OBVIOUSLY WE WILL LOSE
THAT SHOT FAIRLY QUICKLY.
IT WILL TAKE SEVEN MINUTES TO
GET TO 50,000 FEET WHICH IS
AWFULLY FAST, BY THE WAY, IF YOU
FLY ON COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS.
COMMERCIAL FLIGHT GOES TO 37,
40,000 FEET GENERALLY SPEAKING.
TAKES A LITTLE LONGER THAN THAT
TO GET TO THAT SPEED.
SO, TOM COSTELLO, THIS IS GOING
FASTER IN THE INITIAL PERIOD.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT
GOLDEN STATE
GETS TO 50,000 FEET.
TELL US WHAT HAPPENS AT 50,000
FEET.
>> Reporter: SO, AS YOU TAKE A
LOOK AT THAT AIRCRAFT, YOU CAN
SEE, JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO
ANYBODY WHO HASNT WATCHED THAT
ALREADY, HANGING BELOW "EVE" IS
"UNITY."
LATCHED BENEATH THE WING.
AT 50,000 FEET, YOULL HEAR THE
PILOTS GOING THROUGH A SERIES OF
CHECKLISTS, L 10, L 9, L 8, L
STANDS FOR LAUNCH.
LIT RALTLY THEYRE GOING
LITERALLY, THEYRE GOING THROUGH
THE CHECKLIST.
WHEN THEY GET TO THE BOTTOM
YOULL SEE THEM RELEASE UNITY.
UNITY DOESNT DROP VERY FAR.
EVE PULLS AWAY, THEN UNITY
LIGHTS THE ROCKET, THE ROCKET
THAT WILL CARRY THEM UP TOWARDS
50,000 FEET AT MACH III.
WE MENTIONED IT EARLIER, BUT
THIS IS A HYBRID MOTOR THAT USES
BOTH SOLID AND LIQUID
PROPELLANTS.
WHEN THEY GET TO ALTITUDE
THEYLL HAVE THREE OR FOUR
MINUTES OF BEING WEIGHTLESS.
CANDIDLY, THE FACT SOME OF THESE
FOLKS -- RICHARD HAS NEVER BEEN
IN SPACE BEFORE.
THE TWO OF THE THREE PASSENGERS
HAVE NEVER BEEN IN SPACE BEFORE.
I WONDER WHETHER THATS GOING TO
BE SO DISORIENTING FOR THE
MOMENT THAT THEYRE GOING TO BE
ABLE TO THINK ABOUT THEIR TASKS
THAT HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THEM.
I THINK THEYRE GOING TO BE SO
OVERWHELMED WITH JUST THE IDEA
OH, MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS, IM IN
A VERY LOW ORBIT, SUB-ORBIT, IM
FLYING WEIGHTLESS, LOOKING AT
THE EARTH.
I THINK THATS GOING TO CONSUME
THEIR ATTENTION.
THE PILOT SAID THIS IS A FULL
SENSORY EXPERIENCE.
IT IS DEAD SILENT, AS YOUR
GUESTS KNOW BETTER THAN I DO,
DEAD SILENCE WITH THE
SPECTACULAR VIEW OF THE EARTH.
AND THEN THEY WILL EVENTUALLY,
WITHIN AN HOUR, BE BACK DOWN
HERE ON THE GROUND.
AND I DONT KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR
THE MUSIC.
IT AINT DEAD SILENT HERE ON THE
GROUND.
THEYRE GOING TO BE GREETED BY A
BIG PERFORMANCE HERE ON THE
GROUND WITH A LOT OF MUSIC AND A
LOT OF PERFORMANCE.
BUT THE CRITICAL MOMENT IS GOING
TO BE NOT ONLY THAT ROCKET
KICKING IN, AND THEN ACHIEVING
THAT HEIGHT AT ABOUT 56 MILES
ABOVE THE EARTH.
BUT THEN REENTRY, WITH THAT
FEATHER-BACK WING SYSTEM, YOU
KNOW, I THINK THATS WHAT
EVERYBODY HOLDS THEIR BREATH ON.
THEYVE DONE IT SUCCESSFULLY
MANY TIMES ON TEST RUNS.
BUT THAT IS WHAT ACTUALLY --
THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT IN
2014 AND A TEST PILOT WAS
KILLED.
THEYVE DONE REDESIGNS.
THEYVE DONE MAJOR SAFETY STAND
DOWNS TO ADDRESS ALL OF THAT.
BUT I THINK IF THERE IS ANY