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To conserve fuel, SpaceShipOne piggybacks a ride on the underside of a uniquely designed plane called White Knight.
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White Knight is a manned, twin-turbo, high altitude research aircraft. Its first flight was on August 1st 2002.
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White Knight wasn’t just used to carry SpaceShipOne up to a height of 50 000 ft, it was also used as a flight simulator for the SpaceShipOne pilots. This is because White Knight’s cockpit is almost identical to that found in SpaceShipOne. The Astronauts can practice boost, approach, and landing in a very realistic environment.
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White Knight’s uses don’t end at mother ship. It can also be used for: reconnaissance, surveillance, atmospheric research, data relay, telecommunications, imaging, and booster launch for micro- satellites.
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