Once it has gathered up all the required data, flights are expected to resume sometime in 2017. Sooner than you think.

Despite having faced a tragic crash in 2014, Virgin Galactic has risen from the ashes and has come closer to its dream of resuming private spaceflights.

It has now successfully conducted its first glide test flight for what it known as the SpaceShipTwo, the VSS Unity.

Although the flying vehicle was up in the air for just ten minutes and did not travel faster than Mach 0.6, it still provided the much needed data which could be used to model how the craft will behave in a real life situation.

Naturally, there will be a series of tests ahead and rocket-powered flights will could resume only in the later-half of 2017. It all depends how quickly Virgin gathers the data that it needs.

Virgin has characterized the flight test as having gone “extremely well”. Here’s hoping that it resumes its spaceflights sooner rather than later.