The WhiteKnightTwo — the mega mothership that will tote skyward the passenger-carrying SpaceShipTwo — is picking up speed - literally. The plane is being built by Scaled Composites in Mojave, California and is expected to be airborne in the next two to three weeks.

That’s the word today here at the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in Las Cruces, New Mexico. One of the future passengers on SpaceShipTwo has received a recent briefing regarding the test program for WhiteKnightTwo from spaceline operator, Virgin Galactic.

Michael Blum said today that extensive ground testing of WhiteKnightTwo systems is underway at the Mojave Air and Space Port. Those tests have culminated in a recent high-speed taxi evaluation, Blum said.

Blum added that WhiteKnightTwo is some two to three weeks away from the craft taking to the skies for the first time - all in hush-hush status.

From there, Blum continued, the aircraft will go through a series of takeoffs and landings, as well as low altitude flights - a shakeout program that would last for several weeks, if not several months, he said.

That activity is to lead to an early summer to June time frame for the first flight of WhiteKnightTwo carrying the SpaceShipTwo up to altitude.

Blum said that by end of next year to expect the first tests of SpaceShipTwo in space. A minimum of 30 SpaceShipTwo flights would be made before a decision is made on readiness of the system to begin commercial operations, Blum said.

Blum is the founder and managing director of Hong Kong-based Repulse Bay Capital Ltd and is the co-president and CEO at Research Edge, LLC.