Update (1103 ET): SpaceShipTwo Unity has taken off from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico. 

The suborbital spaceplane is at 40,000 feet altitude and rising. 

Virgin Galactic's first rocket-powered test flight from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico is expected on Saturday morning. 

Virgin Galactic tweeted Friday that the "flight window is now open. We will fly no earlier than Saturday. We have range clearance through the weekend and can extend into next week if necessary." 

On Saturday morning, British billionaire Sir Richard Branson's aerospace company - preparing for commercial space flights as early as next year, tweeted: 

"This flight is being conducted under strict COVID-19 protocols with only essential personnel onsite. No guests or media will be onsite for today's flight."

A picture of the SpaceShipTwo Unity was tweeted with the understanding that the "first rocket-powered flight from Spaceport America, New Mexico," will be conducted around "08:00amMT." 

Here's the flight profile of SpaceShipTwo Unity as it will reach an altitude of at least 50 miles before gliding back down to Earth.