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Virgin Galactic's spaceship family all together for first time (photos)

In ceremony to open assembly plant for Spaceship Company--the partnership between Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic--SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo, and WhiteKnightOne and WhiteKnightTwo were on show.

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SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo

MOJAVE, Calif.--On Monday, The Spaceship Company, which is the partnership between Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites, opened the doors to its new assembly facility. There, the company will produce new models of SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo, which will be used to take tourists willing to pay $250,000 into space.

To celebrate the opening, The Spaceship Company hosted an event where, for the first time ever, WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo appeared alongside the original WhiteKnight and a replica of SpaceShipOne.

Here, SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo are seen in the middle of the giant assembly hangar.

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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Here comes WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo

As the hangar doors opened, the audience of about 250 invited guests, politicians, media, and employees watched SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo appear outside.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Doors open

With the doors wide open, the audience had a great view of WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo arriving.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Taxiing in

Here we see WhiteKnightTwo, carrying SpaceShipTwo, taxiing into the assembly building.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Arrival

The crowd of about 250 cheered as WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo made their way fully into The Spaceship Company's brand-new assembly building.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Aircraft progression logo

One of the Virgin Galactic logos, seen here on a WhiteKnightTwo engine, is this representation of the progression of aircraft through the ages.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Experimental

Barely noticeable on the bottom of SpaceShipTwo is the word "experimental," signifying that the spaceship is still in the testing phase. It is not known when Virgin Galactic will begin taking tourists into space, but it said Monday that it has booked $60 million worth of business for the future flights.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Hangar view

In this wide view of the new assembly building, the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo combination is seen alongside the original WhiteKnight.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

SpaceShipOne and WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo

In this photo, taken from above, it is possible to see both the new SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo combination alongside a replica of the original SpaceShipOne. Virgin Galactic said Monday's event was the first time all of Virgin Galactic's vehicles had appeared together in public.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

SpaceShipOne

This is a replica of SpaceShipOne, the vehicle that won the X-Prize in 2004. The original spaceship is currently on display at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

SpaceShipOne front

This is the front of the replica of SpaceShipOne.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

SpaceShipTwo

Here we see SpaceShipTwo. The Spaceship Company said it plans to build at least two more SpaceShipTwos.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

SpaceShipTwo from side

This is a view of SpaceShipTwo, taken from the side.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

The Spaceship Company sign

Hanging on the wall of the assembly facility is this clever sign for The Spaceship Company.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

The Spaceship Company

This is the logo for The Spaceship Company, seen stenciled on the glass outside its headquarters in Mojave, Calif.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Virgin Galactic truck

This is a Virgin Galactic aircraft tug.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

VMSEVE

Painted on the side of WhiteKnightTwo is this Virgin Galactic logo.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

WhiteKnight from above

This is the original WhiteKnight, which carried SpaceShipOne into the sky--and then dropped it--seen from above.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

WhiteKnight and SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo from above

For the first time ever, Virgin Galactic showed off all its aircraft at the same time.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

WhiteKnight from the front

This is the nose of the original WhiteKnight.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

WhiteKnight logo

This is the WhiteKnight logo, seen on the original WhiteKnight.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Side of WhiteKnight

Here we see WhiteKnight from the side.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Tail

This is the tail of WhiteKnight.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

WhiteKnight

This is the original WhiteKnight.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo from behind

In this photograph WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo are seen from behind.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Mojave Air and Space port

Today there are 14 companies in the commercial space industry doing business at the Mojave Air and Space port in Mojave, Calif.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Scaled Composites

Scaled Composites, which made SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo, as well as WhiteKnight and WhiteKnightTwo, is located at the Mojave Air and Space port.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:

Rotary Rocket

Rotary Rocket is one of 14 companies doing commercial space industry work at the Mojave Air and Space port.
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Photo by: Daniel Terdiman/CNET / Caption by:
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