When (after launching the mothership) is the VSS Unity dropped from the mothership and at which altitude? I mean in space flights (above 80 km)
More or less, of course
Space Exploration Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for spacecraft operators, scientists, engineers, and enthusiasts. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityWhen (after launching the mothership) is the VSS Unity dropped from the mothership and at which altitude? I mean in space flights (above 80 km)
More or less, of course
WhiteKnightTwo uneventfully carried SpaceShipTwo to a release altitude of approximately 47,000 feet MSL.
NTSB Accident Report - Virgin Galactic Party Submission
The flight in the report lifted off at 09:19:30 PDT and released SpaceShipTwo at 10:07:19.27 PDT.
Looks like there is a bit of variance in the altitude at which the VMS Eve mothership releases the VSS Unity spacecraft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VSS_Unity_VP-03:
On 13 December 2018, at an altitude of 43,000 ft (13,000 m), the VMS Eve released the VSS Unity for its fourth powered test flight.
https://www.space.com/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-launch-abort-spaceport-america:
Things went smoothly enough early on. Unity lifted off beneath the wings of VMS Eve, its WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft, around 10:24 a.m. EST (1524 GMT; 8:24 a.m. local New Mexico time [2020-12-12]). And Eve dropped Unity on schedule, at an altitude of about 50,000 feet (15,000 meters).
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/big-reads/behind-scenes-virgin-galactic (mirror):
WhiteKnight, the mothership, that will take Unity and its cargo of future astronauts to 14,600m before releasing her to cover the remaining distance on rocket power.