Virgin Galactic is preparing for its inaugural commercial rocket plane spaceflight on Thursday, June 28, 2023. The flight, named Galactic 01, will carry a crew consisting of three Italian researchers and two Virgin Galactic pilots.
Departing from Spaceport America in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, the spacecraft, VSS Unity, will ascend to an altitude of approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers). During the flight, the crew will experience around four minutes of microgravity before returning safely to Earth.
This milestone launch signifies a significant achievement for Virgin Galactic, marking the commencement of their commercial operations. After more than a decade of development and successful test flights, this will be the first time VSS Unity carries a paying customer, demonstrating the company’s progress.
The crew aboard Galactic 01 will conduct various scientific experiments, primarily focusing on studying the effects of microgravity on both the human body and different materials. The outcomes of these experiments hold the potential to advance future commercial space travel and its related fields of research.
The successful launch of Galactic 01 represents a crucial advancement in the commercial space industry, showcasing the capability of private companies to offer secure and reliable spaceflights to the public. This achievement opens up vast opportunities for space tourism and scientific exploration.
