Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two completed its 54th test flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port Tuesday. This spaceplane is expected to bring space tourists into low earth orbit next year.

The success of this test flight comes with the 10th anniversary of SpaceShipOne. Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson is adamant this successful test flight will propel the private space company into the future of commercial space flights.

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SpaceShipOne first took off in 2004. It flew 100 kilometers into space on a suborbital flight, winning the US$10 million Ansari X Prize for being a reusable suborbital spaceflight vehicle.

The successor to SpaceShipOne, SpaceShipTwo is set to become the world's very first private spaceliner. Last January, the spacecraft made its third supersonic test flight.

Virgin Galactic has currently sold more than 700 tickets, each costing US$250,000.

According to Michael Lopez-Alegria, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Virgin Galactic may be taking their time amidst multiple rocket test flights and safety procedures. But this doesn't mean progress is delayed; Virgin Galactic is on track with their commercial space flights.

With the successful test flights of SpaceShipTwo, it's likely the space plane will begin flying customers into suborbital space next year.

According to George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic, winning the Ansari X Prize was pivotal for the company. This meant that even a small, private commercial spaceflight company is capable of bringing humans to space even if they aren't funded by the government. 

TagsVirgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Successful Test Flight Could Herald World's First Commercial Space Flight, Virgin Galactic, space tourism, first commercial space flight, spaceshipone, SpaceShipTwo