On 23 March 2010, the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo, recently named the Virgin Spaceship Enterprise, began its test programme with an inaugural test flight over California, USA. The spaceship remained attached to the mothership, WhiteKnightTwo, for the two hour and fifty-four minute flight, achieving an altitude of 45,000ft before returning to the Mojave Airport north of Los Angeles. In normal operation the spaceship will have a crew of two and carry six passengers. The mothership will carry the Enterprise to an altitude of 50,000 feet and then, powered by a single rocket motor the spaceship will be released and accelerate to Mach 3 at the edge of the world’s atmosphere before gliding back to earth. The test programme is scheduled to run through 2011 with regular passenger flights starting in 2012.