Photos: Virgin Galactic's 1st SpaceShipTwo Powered Flight Test

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Close-Up of SpaceShipTwo During First Rocket-Powered Flight

Credit: Virgin Galactic

Frame from SpaceShipTwo Boom Camera during first rocket-powered flight on April 29, 2013, over the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Blasts Into the Upper Atmosphere

Credit: MarsScientific.com and Clay Center Observatory

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Richard Branson/Virgin Galactic

Founder of Virgin Group Richard Branson posted a photo of the SpaceShipTwo first supersonic test flight in the Mojave desert on April 29, 2013. He wrote: "This is a momentous day and the single most important flight test to date for our Virgin Galactic program. What a feeling to be on the ground with all the team in Mojave to witness Virgin Galactic go faster than the speed of sound." [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Lands After First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Bill Deaver/Deaver-Wiggins and Associates

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo lands in the Mojave Desert, CA, after its historic first supersonic test flight on April 29, 2013. [See full story.]

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SpaceShipTwo and Chase Plane

Credit: Bill Deaver/Deaver-Wiggins and Associates

A small chase plane follows Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo as it completes its historic first supersonic test flight on April 29, 2013, in Mojave, CA. [See full story.]

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SpaceShipTwo Lands

Credit: Bill Deaver/Deaver-Wiggins and Associates

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo lands in the Mojave Desert, CA, after its historic first supersonic test flight on April 29, 2013. [See full story.]

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Sir Richard Branson & Burt Rutan at First SpaceShipTwo Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Mark Greenberg/Virgin Galactic

Sir Richard Branson & Burt Rutan share a moment after the success of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo breaking the speed of sound, on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Sir Richard Branson and "Forger" aka Mark Stucky

Credit: Mark Greenberg/Virgin Galactic

Sir Richard Branson & 'Forger' aka Mark Stucky, pilot of SpaceShipTwo, congratulate each other after the completion of SS2's first rocket-powered flight on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Kenneth Brown/Aerospace Photography

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Kenneth Brown/Aerospace Photography

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Kenneth Brown/Aerospace Photography

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Kenneth Brown/Aerospace Photography

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Kenneth Brown/Aerospace Photography

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Kenneth Brown/Aerospace Photography

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Kenneth Brown/Aerospace Photography

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Kenneth Brown/Aerospace Photography

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Credit: Kenneth Brown/Aerospace Photography

Virgin Galactic conducted a historic first supersonic test flight of SpaceShipTwo on April 29, 2013, in the Mojave Desert, CA. [See full story.]

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SpaceShipTwo Readied for Test Flight

Credit: Virgin Galactic

Founder of Virgin Group Richard Branson posted a photo of the SpaceShipTwo first supersonic test flight in the Mojave desert on April 29, 2013. He wrote: "This is a momentous day and the single most important flight test to date for our Virgin Galactic program. What a feeling to be on the ground with all the team in Mojave to witness Virgin Galactic go faster than the speed of sound." [See full story.]

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Virgin Galactic Test Flight, April 29, 2013

Credit: Virgin Galactic (via Twitter as @virgingalactic)

Founder of Virgin Group Richard Branson posted a photo of the SpaceShipTwo first supersonic test flight in the Mojave desert on April 29, 2013. He wrote: "This is a momentous day and the single most important flight test to date for our Virgin Galactic program. What a feeling to be on the ground with all the team in Mojave to witness Virgin Galactic go faster than the speed of sound." [See full story.]

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SpaceShipTwo Hybrid Rocket Motor

Credit: Virgin Galactic

Founder of Virgin Group Richard Branson posted a photo of the SpaceShipTwo first supersonic test flight in the Mojave desert on April 29, 2013. He wrote: "This is a momentous day and the single most important flight test to date for our Virgin Galactic program. What a feeling to be on the ground with all the team in Mojave to witness Virgin Galactic go faster than the speed of sound." [See full story.]

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How Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Passenger Space Plane Works (Infographic)

Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor

SpaceShipTwo will carry six passengers up past 328,000 feet altitude (100 kilometers), the point where astronaut wings are awarded. See the full infographic here. [See full story.]

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SpaceShipTwo Drop Launch

Credit: Virgin Galactic

An artist's illustration of a SpaceShipTwo drop launch from its mothership WhiteKnightTwo. [See full story.]

Photos: Virgin Galactic's 1st SpaceShipTwo Powered Flight Test

Close-Up of SpaceShipTwo During First Rocket-Powered Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Blasts Into the Upper Atmosphere

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo Lands After First Supersonic Test Flight

SpaceShipTwo and Chase Plane

SpaceShipTwo Lands

Sir Richard Branson & Burt Rutan at First SpaceShipTwo Supersonic Test Flight

Sir Richard Branson and "Forger" aka Mark Stucky

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo First Supersonic Test Flight

SpaceShipTwo Readied for Test Flight

Virgin Galactic Test Flight, April 29, 2013

SpaceShipTwo Hybrid Rocket Motor

How Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Passenger Space Plane Works (Infographic)

SpaceShipTwo Drop Launch

Tom Chao

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