Virgin Galactic says it aims to launch its next flight in late June
BySusan Montoya Bryan The Associated Press
FILE – Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity leaves the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California for the last time, as Virgin Galactic relocates its spaceflight operations to New Mexico, February 13, 2020. Virgin Galactic announced on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, that monthly commercial flights to the edge of space will begin for ticket holders in August, following a planned research flight in late June. (Matt Hartman via AP, File)
The Associated Press
Albuquerque, NM — Virgin Galactic announced Thursday that monthly commercial flights to the edge of space will begin for ticket holders in August, following a research flight planned for the end of June.
The space tourism company will take a team of experts with the Italian Air Force and Italy’s National Research Center to conduct microgravity research. The window for that research flight will begin on June 27 and last for the next three days, with timing depending on the weather.
After that, those who have waited more than a decade for their ride aboard Virgin Galactic’s rocket-powered space plane are expected to get their chance. The company said the first of these flights will start in early August, followed by monthly flights.
“This next exciting chapter for Virgin Galactic is driven by innovation, determination and a commitment to delivering a unique and truly transformative customer experience,” CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement.
Virgin Galactic has been working for years to send paying passengers on short space voyages and finally received federal government approval in 2021. The company completed its last test fight in May.
After reaching an altitude of approximately 50,000 feet (15,000 m), Virgin Galactic’s spacecraft is released from the aircraft carrier and plummets for a moment before igniting its rocket motors. The plane lifts off once it reaches space, providing passengers with silence, weightlessness, and an aerial view of Earth. The rocket ship then heads back to the runway at Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert.
Virgin Galactic has sold about 800 tickets over the past decade, with the initial batch going for $200,000 each. Tickets now cost $450,000 per person.
The company said that early fliers have already received their seat assignments.
The highest-profile test flight came in July 2021 when Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson beat fellow billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and rocket company Blue Origin to space. Bezos took off from West Texas nine days later, and Blue Origin has since launched several passenger trips.
