Test Flights Begin

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s soon as SpaceShipOne was able to fly, flight testing began. This didn’t mean it was fully operational—not by a long shot. But the only way to learn more about the spacecraft was to get it up in the air and see how things worked.

The purpose of flight testing was to understand how the parts of SpaceShipOne operated individually and collectively while in flight. Only so much can be eval­uated by ground tests and computer models. SpaceShipOne was, after all, designed to fly, not to take up idle space inside a hangar.

SpaceShipOne’s flight test program proceeded incrementally, as with most flight test programs. After each step, Scaled Composites knew a little bit more how SpaceShipOne flew. Resolving problems, expected and unexpected, by making modifications or procedural changes is a normal part of any flight test program. And this one was no different.

SpaceShipOne completed fifteen test flights before attempting to capture the Ansari X Prize: three captive carries, eight glides, and four powered flights. These test flights, beginning on May 20, 2003, enabled the team to qualify the instruments, controls, systems, and test pilots as well as expand the flight envelope of SpaceShipOne.

Flight testing of SpaceShipOne actually began in White Knight. Since the cockpits were virtually identical, as were many of the controls and compo­nents, SpaceShipOne had a tremendous head start by the time it finally reached the sky.

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Fig. 7.1. White Knight flew more than four times the number of flights as did SpaceShipOne because it was also used to shake-out the components that were common to SpaceShipOne. Because they shared very similar cockpits and some similar flight characteristics, White Knight was also an effective flight trainer for SpaceShipOne. When White Knight and SpaceShipOne did fly together, a "cave painting" was added to the fuselage of White Knight to acknowledge each mission. Mojave Aerospace Ventures LLC, photograph by Scaled Composites

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In this chapter and the following chapters, excerpts taken from the flight log of Scaled Composites are given for all the flights made by SpaceShipOne during the flight test program, including the Ansari X Prize attempts. The key information given for each includes the date, the flight numbers for both SpaceShipOne and White Knight, the crew members, and the test flight objective. From the photographs, the sequence of modifications to the tail booms, engine fairing, thermal protection system, and paint scheme becomes apparent.

For both SpaceShipOne and White Knight, the flight numbers were sequential, representing each time the vehicle flew. White Knight flew many more times because it was flown first and also used as a trainer for SpaceShipOne. For captive-carry test flights, a C was added to the end. For a glide or powered test flight, a G or P was added, respec­tively, while L denoted a launch for White Knight. Appendix A lists important data about each of the flights.

Piloting rotated between Pete Siebold, Mike Melvill, and Brian Binnie. But while one of these test pilots flew SpaceShipOne during a test flight, one of the others always flew White Knight. The remain­ing of the three test pilots typically flew a chase plane to closely observe the test flight. Appendix В gives details about the chase planes for the flights.

To commemorate the completion of each SpaceShipOne flight, a “cave painting” was added to the side of White Knight, as shown in figure 7.1.

Being a test pilot is a risky occupation, as history has continually proven. Anytime a new aircraft is flown, there are many unknowns. The test pilot has to be prepared for the worst case, though. The nose cone of SpaceShipOne was specially designed to detach from the fuse­lage, so, in an emergency, the test pilot could make a quick escape and parachute to safety. The job of the test pilots was to fly SpaceShipOne and, with the help of the entire test flight team, turn those unknowns into knowns.

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Flight Test Log Excerpt for 1C

Date: 20 May 2003

Flight Number Pilot/Flight Engineer

SpaceShipOne 1C none

White Knight 24C Pete Siebold/Brian Binnie

Objective: First captive-carry flight with mated White Knight and SpaceShipOne. Vibration and aerodynamic interface assessment. Mated handling qualities evaluation. Envelope expansion to 130 knots/Mach 0.5 above 45,000 feet [13,720 meters]. Stalls and 2/3-rudder sideslips. SpaceShipOne systems inactive, controls locked, and cabin unmanned. Launch system was qualified and functional for this flight.

(source: Mojave Aerospace Ventures LLC, provided courtesy of Scaled Composites)

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