Footage released of SpaceShipTwo's first 'feathered flight'

Virgin Galactic has released a video of SpaceShipTwo, the world?s first commercial spaceship, dropping nearly vertically from its mother ship in a test flight that took place earlier this month. 

The test flight, which deploys a "feather" configuration to ease the craft's re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, brings Virgin Galactic a step closer to taking tourists into outer space. It took place over the Mojave Desert on May 4. 

One of the most dangerous aspects of space flight is figuring out a safe way to re-enter the dense atmosphere of Earth from the vacuum of space.
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