Richard Branson‘s space tourism company Virgin Galactic is to launch its commercial spaceflight service at the end of this month.
Founded by the British business magnate and billionaire, Virgin Galactic got approval to fly private customers to space in 2021 and started selling tickets to the public in February 2022.
The flight window for its first mission, dubbed ‘Galactic 01’, opens on 27 June with opportunities to fly through 30 June. ‘Galactic 02’ is planned for early August, and the company expects to operate monthly commercial flights thereafter.
Per a press release from Virgin Galactic, the first flight will be a scientific research mission, carrying three crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy to conduct microgravity research.
“We are launching the first commercial spaceline for Earth with two dynamic products – our scientific research and private astronaut space missions,” said Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic. “This next exciting chapter for Virgin Galactic has been driven by innovation, determination and a commitment to delivering an unparalleled and truly transformative customer experience.”
Last month, Virgin Galactic carried out a final test flight on the Unity 25 mission, with passengers Jamila Gilbert, Christopher Huie, and Luke Mays becoming the newest Virgin Galactic astronauts.
Space tourism missions
Virgin Galactic has sold more than 800 tickets to space tourists. The company offers cheaper suborbital trips, which involve taking a spacecraft to the border of space without sending it into orbit.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos‘ Blue Origin also provides suborbital journeys, which are essentially a quick look at space at between 50 and 70 miles above Earth before gliding down again.
Blue Origin successfully completed its first commercial flight on the New Shepard spacecraft in July 2021.
Virgin Galactic will release information about the crew for the initial flights ahead of each mission.
