The spacecraft VSS Unity ignites its engine during the Unity 25 spaceflight on May 25, 2023.
virgin galactic
virgin galactic It aims to launch its commercial space tourism service in late June.
The flight, called Galactic 01, is targeting a launch window that begins on June 27 and runs through June 30, the company said Thursday. Virgin Galactic then plans to conduct a second commercial flight in “early August,” and “once a month” after that.
Galaxy 01 will carry three members of the Italian Air Force to conduct microgravity research with scientific payloads.
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The company completed its last spaceflight test in May and said on Thursday it had completed “routine analysis and vehicle inspections” of its carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, and spacecraft, VSS Unity.
Virgin Galactic’s first commercial space flight is a long-awaited milestone for the company, beginning to transport its backlog of about 800 passengers. The company was founded in 2004 by billionaire Richard Branson. The June launch will also start the push for Virgin Galactic to demonstrate that it can conduct regular commercial flights, which will be critical to its long-term success.
“We are launching the first commercial spaceline to Earth with two dynamic products – our scientific research and private astronaut space missions,” Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Col Glazier said in a statement. .”
