Photo Essay: SpaceShipTwo’s First Glide Flight

VSS Enterprise on its first test flight. (Photo: Mark Greenberg)

WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo prepped before the first drop test. (Credit: Mark Greenberg)

Richard Branson and Burt Rutan watch from the ground. (Credit: Bill Deaver)

VSS Enterprise drops from WhiteKnightTwo. (Credit: Clay Observatory)

SpaceShipTwo glides downward. (Photo: Mark Greenberg)

Gear down. (Photo: Mark Greenberg)

Touchdown. (Photo: Mark Greenberg)

Pilots Peter Seibold and Mike Melvill accept congratulations after the flight. (Photo: Mike Greenberg)

Designer Burt Rutan and Sir Richard Branson stand behind SpaceShipTwo as the WhiteKnigtTwo mothership flies ovehead. (Credit: Mike Mills)

A happy day indeed for Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic. (Photo: Mark Greenberg)