Virgin Galactic has achieved a significant milestone by successfully flying its first group of private tourist passengers to the edge of space. The historic journey marked the company's commitment to expanding space access for a diverse global community of astronauts.
TOPSHOT - The Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo space plane Unity and mothership separate as they fly way above Spaceport America, near Truth and Consequences, New Mexico on July 11, 2021 on the way to the cosmos. Billionaire Richard Branson took off July 11, 2021 from a base in New Mexico aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel bound for the edge of space, a voyage he hopes will lift the nascent space tourism industry off the ground.
Galactic 02 Mission of Virgin Galactic
The mission, named "Galactic 02," carried passengers Jon Goodwin from the United Kingdom, as well as Keisha Schahaff and her daughter Anastasia Mayer, both from Antigua.
According to Virgin Galactic, the flight marked numerous achievements, including being the first female astronauts from the Caribbean, the inaugural mother-daughter duo in space, the most women flown in a single space mission, and the youngest person to venture into space.
It also includes the first Olympian to journey beyond Earth, the first majority female spaceflight, the sixth and seventh Black women to travel to space, the second person with Parkinson's to explore space, and the third oldest person to embark on a space voyage.
Galactic 02's take-off time was at Spaceport America, in the state of New Mexico, at 8:30 a.m. local time. The altitude was 44,300 feet when the Galactic's VSS Unity spaceplane was released from the carrier Eve.
The apogee reached a height of 55 miles. The top speed achieved was Mach 3. The landing time at Spaceport America occurred at 9:30 a.m. or just an hour after taking off.
Read Also: Virgin Galactic Wants 1000 Passengers To Purchase Its $450,000 Tickets; What are the Inclusions?
Historic Leap Forward
"Today, Virgin Galactic took another historic leap forward by flying our first private astronaut mission and demonstrating how our spaceflights will broaden access to space," Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, said in a statement.
"Jon, Keisha and Ana each embody our fundamental belief that space is for everyone, and we are proud that today's flight has inspired people and communities around the world. This is just the beginning, as we plan to continue flying monthly spaceflights while also developing our Delta Class production spaceships to scale our business," he added.
On the other hand, VSS Unity Commander CJ Sturckow said, "It is a surreal and humbling experience to have flown Unity today. The wonder and excitement of spaceflight never loses its magic. I had the honor of being joined in the cockpit by Kelly Latimer, one of the first female commercial spaceship pilots. I'm proud of the work we're doing here at Virgin Galactic to fly more people to space."
With this achievement, Virgin Galactic is embarking on post-flight inspections and analysis in preparation for the upcoming commercial space mission, 'Galactic 03,' scheduled for September.
The company is committed to maintaining a monthly flight cadence to continue making space travel accessible. Virgin Galactic has already booked about 800 customers, with tickets ranging from $250,000 to $450,000.
Related Article: Virgin Galactic Space Tourism Sold 700 Tickets Already, Price Increase to $450k Each Sells 100 More
