by Sir Richard Branson Virgin galaxy space tourism company has revealed the date of the first commercial flight.
The maiden flight, Galactic 01, is scheduled for June 27-30. This maiden flight will have a crew of six, including three members from the Italian air force and Italian National Research Council. The team will conduct microgravity studies during the flight.
Galactic 02 will take off in August, bringing members of the public with monthly flights to track.
Over the past decade, Virgin Galactic has sold about 800 tickets for journeys to the edge of space, with the first batch costing $200,000 each.
Currently, tickets are priced at $450,000 per person. Many of the first passengers have been waiting for this moment for more than a decade after purchasing their tickets. Seats have been assigned for the first space flights.
Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier expressed his excitement for the highly anticipated launch.
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“This exciting next chapter of Virgin Galactic is driven by innovation, determination and commitment to deliver a truly transformative and unprecedented customer experience,” he said.
The unique launch method used by Virgin Galactic distinguishes it from competitors like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Instead of launching the rocket vertically, the company’s transport plane, the White Knight Two, took off from the runway.
At about 10 miles above Earth’s surface, the rocket-powered spacecraft VSS Unity was released and ignited its rocket engine to reach an altitude of more than 50 miles. At this point, VSS Unity enters the edge of space, providing passengers with a weightless and awe-inspiring view of our planet.
The experience will last about 90 minutes, including 5 minutes in weightlessness before gliding back to Earth and landing at Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert.
In 2012, Branson successfully traveled on a suborbital flight with Virgin Galactic.
bottom line
With the impending launch of commercial spaceflight, Virgin Galactic is poised to fulfill its customers’ dreams. They have been patiently waiting for more than 10 years to take off.
However, the cost of experience is substantial. For now, tickets will only be available to a privileged few.
