Virgin Galactic officially pulled back the hanger doors on their new WhiteKnightTwo, the launch vehicle for the SpaceShipTwo, in the Mojave Air and Spaceport on Monday.

Christened “EVE” in honor of Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson’s mother, the carrier aircraft marks a milestone in the company’s quest to launch the world’s first private space access system.

The world’s largest all-carbon composite aircraft to date, the WhiteKnightTwo’s 140-foot wingspan is the longest single carbon composite aviation component ever manufactured.

The mothership, powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308A engines, will be able to reach a maximum altitude of 50,000 feet and fly non-stop coast-to-coast across the United States.

The twin fuselage will have a central payload area to carry the SpaceShipTwo, due to be launched in 2009, after comprehensive testing on the mothership, which will take her first flight this fall.

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