The countdown is on, as Virgin Galactic has confirmed when it will be sending its first passengers to space!
The company has confirmed that its inaugural commercial spaceflight - named Galactic 01 - is scheduled to lift off on Thursday, June 29th.
This trailblazing journey will host three representatives from Italy's Air Force and National Research Council, who will be conducting microgravity research. While a late June launch window had been speculated, the firm had remained uncommitted until now.
In a tantalizing hint at things to come, Virgin Galactic also revealed plans for subsequent missions.
Galactic 02 is expected to launch in early August, carrying a private crew. The company intends to operate on a monthly basis thereafter, although specific details about these future missions are currently under wraps. However, Virgin Galactic has confirmed that at least the first two flights will be streamed live via the company's website.
This maiden voyage comes after a long and challenging journey for the company.
Virgin Galactic completed its first SpaceShipTwo test flights in 2013, but a tragic crash of the VSS Enterprise in 2014 halted operations. The testing resumed with VSS Unity's glide test in late 2016, and the firm finally reached space in 2018. However, the company only managed to complete its first fully crewed spaceflight, with founder Richard Branson on board, in 2021, after overcoming numerous setbacks and delays.
This launch holds significant commercial implications for Virgin Galactic. Operating at a loss for years, the company lost more than $500 million in 2022 alone, Engadget reports. Although the steep ticket price of $450,000 won't recoup these investments quickly, it will certainly inject a vital revenue stream into the company.
While this isn't Virgin's first step into space tourism, Galactic 01 will see the company edge ahead of SpaceX, whose Starship rocket has not yet reached space and isn't expected to launch its first lunar tourist flights until late 2024.
The four-person crew for Galactic 01 will board the VSS Unity for a 90-minute flight, during which they will conduct a series of suborbital science experiments. The group, comprising Col. Walter Villadei, Lt. Col. Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone Carlucci, and Colin Bennett, will explore biomedical thermo-fluid dynamics and develop innovative and sustainable materials in microgravity conditions.
Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, spoke passionately about the mission, saying: "Galactic 01 is our first commercial spaceflight, and we have the honor to have been selected by the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council to support their first space research mission, Virtute 1."
He also expressed the company's ambition to provide reliable access to space for Government and research institutions for many years to come.
Meanwhile, Col. Walter Villadei shared his enthusiasm about the mission, commenting: "A breakthrough and pathfinder mission, conceived and designed with Italian National Research Council and Virgin Galactic to test the versatility of suborbital spaceflight for scientific and technological research. We are flying payloads from multiple disciplines in one mission and are utilizing the entire flight profile to collect invaluable data."
Don't forget to tune in to the live stream on Thursday! It will be history in the making!
