Virgin Galactic conducted its highest test flight yet at 71,000 feet (21,641 meters) and a top speed of Mach
1.4 Jan 10, 2014.
A video posted to LiveLeak shows the plane rocket across the sky at what looks like the very edges of space. Despite appearances, at that altitude, the plane is still in the stratosphere and not quite full-fledged space, which starts at about 5 times that altitude.
In contrast, the military's SR-71 spy plane flies about 15,000 feet higher, at 85,ooo feet.
Richard Branson, Virgin's owner, hopes to make space travel affordable, though Business Insider's won Nicholas Carlson noted last year that a ticket still costs $250,000.
Pricey or not, there's no denying Virgin Galactic is cool, watch: