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The Conversation USA

What's a suborbital flight? An aerospace engineer explains

  • Written by John M. Horack, Neil Armstrong Chair and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University
imageVirgin Galactic's Unity VSS spacecraft went on a suborbital test flight in May 2021.VIrgin Galactic, CC BY

“Suborbital” is a term you’ll be hearing a lot as Sir Richard Branson flies aboard Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity winged spaceship and Jeff Bezos flies aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle to touch the boundary...

Read more: What's a suborbital flight? An aerospace engineer explains

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