Virgin Galactic sets southern New Mexico flight test date

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, New Mexico — Virgin Galactic has set the date for a rocket-powered test flight this month in southern New Mexico following work to correct a problem that prevented ignition on its last attempt.

The flight window will open Feb. 13, with opportunities to fly through the remainder of the month, the company said in a statement.

The spaceship will be flown by two pilots and carry research payloads under a NASA program.

The problem occurred Dec. 12 on what was planned to be the spacecraft’s first flight into space from New Mexico’s Spaceport America.

Instead, its computer triggered a fail-safe scenario that prevented ignition and the craft safely glided to a landing.

“The team has since conducted the root cause analysis, completed the corrective work required, and carried out extensive ground testing,” the company said. “The next stage will be to assess and verify this work during a rocket-powered flight.”

The test program is working toward the start of commercial passenger flights from Spaceport America.

The spacecraft made two previous suborbital space flights over the Southern California desert, where it was developed and built.