Final test before commercial service
Virgin Galactic is preparing to launch its first spaceflight in nearly two years on Thursday, as the space tourism company aims to pass a final test before flying commercial passengers.
Called Unity 25, the mission represents the company's fifth spaceflight to date and is launching out of Spaceport America in New Mexico. It marks a "final assessment" flight, with six Virgin Galactic employees onboard for a short trip to the edge of space.
Virgin Galactic will not publicly livestream the flight, unlike its previous spaceflight that carried founder Sir Richard Branson in July 2021. Instead the company plans to give updates on Unity 25's progress on social media.
Carrier aircraft VMS Eve is expected to take off at about 10 a.m. ET, carrying the company's VSS Unity spacecraft up to an altitude of about 40,000 feet before releasing the rocket-powered vehicle. VSS Unity will then fire its engine, aiming to climb past 80 kilometers (or about 262,000 feet) – the altitude the U.S. recognizes as the boundary of space.
Known as sub-orbital, this type of spaceflight gives passengers a couple minutes of weightless, unlike the much longer, more difficult and more expensive private orbital flights conducted by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Depending on the outcome and data gathered from Unity 25, the company aims to fly its first commercial mission in "late June."
VSS Unity will be piloted by Virgin Galactic's Mike Masucci and CJ Sturckow, while carrier aircraft VMS Eve will be flown by Jameel Janjua and Nicola Pecile. In the passenger cabin will be Chief Astronaut Instructor Beth Moses, as well as astronaut instructor Luke Mays, senior engineering manager Christopher Huie, and senior manager of internal communications Jamila Gilbert.
Source: CNBC
