Virgin To Launch Its First Commercial Spaceflights—With Regular Trips—Very Soon
Image via Virgin Galactic
Imagine peering out to your plane window and seeing not just the wing, but also the vast depths of outer space. This fantasy is becoming a reality for more people. On the heels of Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic is ready to host its first paying customers.
It’s been a long time coming. Richard Branson’s company was launched in 2004, and its engines have endured several tests and delays for takeoff since. Now, it’s finally set a date for the first commercial spaceflight. Galactic 01, as the mission is called, will fly between June 27 and June 30.
The spacecraft will carry three people from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy to help further their research in microgravity. It will also bring along scientific payloads that will “showcse the value and power of the unique suborbital science lab that Virgin Galactic offers,” the firm shares in a press release.
The next commercial passengers won’t have to wait long to hitch a ride afterwards. The second spaceflight, Galactic 02, is set to take off in early August, taking a private crew outbound.
These debut missions will be streamed live on the Virgin Galactic website.
Excitingly, Virgin Galactic’s flight schedule thereafter will consist of monthly commercial trips.
The company concluded its final, successful test expedition in May, and it’s now revving for the next chapter. Having run at a loss for years, with a dip of over US$500 million in just 2022 alone, its entire business hinges on enabling regular flights for hopeful space tourists.
As a fortuitous sign of its new horizons, Virgin Galactic’s shares skyrocketed more than 40% on Thursday, CNBC reports.
[via Engadget and CNBC, images via Virgin Galactic]
