We’ve all dreamed of travelling to space as kids, haven’t we? Well, it looks like our dream is soon going to come true. Customers of Virgin Galactic who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a trip to space are about to receive compensation. At the end of June, the company, which was established by British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, will fly the ‘Galactic 01’ as its maiden commercial spaceflight.
Virgin Galactic Launches Its First-Ever Commercial Spaceflight
A six-person crew can launch on the VSS Unity spacecraft from Spaceport America in New Mexico within a three-day window starting on June 27. Galactic 01 will be followed by ‘Galactic 02,’ a second commercial spacecraft, in early August 2023.
Thereafter, monthly space flights are anticipated. Virgin Galactic flew a crew of four firm employees more than 50 miles above the Earth’s surface in May to complete its final test mission.
The first of the company’s commercial space flights will be a scientific mission, despite the fact that it will be transporting common people who have paid astronomical amounts for tickets.
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A Microgravity Research
Angelo Landolfi, Walter Villadei, and Pantaleone Carlucci, three crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy, will be aboard Galactic 01 to carry out microgravity research. They will be travelling with three other Americans: safety officer Beth Moses, co-pilot Michael Masucci, and pilot Frederick W. Sturckow.
Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, said that this new chapter has been driven by determination, innovation, and commitment to deliver a completely transformative experience to all its customers.
Over the previous ten years, Virgin Galactic has sold roughly 800 tickets for the flight; initially, they were $200,000 each, but they are now $450,000 each.
Unlike SpaceX and Blue Origin, which undertake spectacular vertical rocket launches similar to NASA’s, Virgin Galactic uses a different launch strategy. (As per the Daily Mail)
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Cover Image Courtesy: @virgingalactic/Instagram