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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-spaceshiptwo-flight-sequence

Which sequence describes a SpaceShipTwo flight?

Carrier release, rocket climb, feathered reentry, glide landing.

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  1. Runway launch, orbit, ocean splashdown
  2. Balloon lift, parachute drop, river landing
  3. Carrier release, rocket climb, feather, glide ✔

Why: A carrier aircraft lifts SpaceShipTwo to about 50,000 feet and releases it. It rockets to space, folds its wings upward for reentry, then glides to a runway.

Huh, didn't know that: Air launching lets the rocket-powered portion begin high above the ground.

The dad joke
SpaceShipTwo got a lift before giving itself a boost.
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References

Answer: Carrier release, rocket climb, feather, glide. A carrier aircraft lifts SpaceShipTwo to about 50,000 feet and releases it. It rockets to space, folds its wings upward for reentry, then glides to a runway.

  1. Aerospace Dimensions Module 4, Rockets akwg.cap.gov/media/cms/Module_4__Rockets_6660F78F20B68_4ad77.pdf
    SpaceShipTwo will then separate from the White Knight Two and be rocketed into space.
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. Aerospace Dimensions Module 4, Rockets akwg.cap.gov/media/cms/Module_4__Rockets_6660F78F20B68_4ad77.pdf
    be gently slowed to prepare for a glide to landing at the space port
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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