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This pasr Thursday, success, as Virgin Galactic launched its first private astronaut spaceflight, Galactic 02, from Spaceport America in Southern New Mexico. This flight had previous missions twas the first private customer flight with three civilians, a mission specialist, and pilots onboard. Among the three civilians taken on were the first Olympian and Caribbean astronauts to space.
Delays and safety concerns with space flight makes any mission difficult. While Virgin Galactic has successfully completed its 'Galactic 02' mission, the first private customer flight was delayed frequently m early expectations. The company had initially targeted to begin private customer flights in 2022, but due to delays in work refurbishing its carrier aircraft, it was pushed to 2023. Safety was the priority.
With great anticipation yet a bit of anxiety, VSS Unity, the sub-orbital spacecraft and subject of the mission, took to the skies at 08:40 from the desert of Southern New Mexico ‘s Spaceport. Over 150,000 viewers watched a live stream on Virgin Galactic's YouTube channel with thousands seeking information and updates via a variety of platforms and sources.
The VSS Unity was carried to its launch altitude by a mothership named VMS Eve, after Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson's mother. It was released from the mothership at 09:15 local time and reached Mach 3 within a minute. Unity safely touched down at 09:30 local time at Spaceport America in New Mexico, just over 15 minutes after its release.
While the VSS Unity has operated seven missions before, this particular flight is its first one with a total ticket holder. In 2021, the company's founder Branson was on board for the first full-size crew.
Then on June 29th, 2023, the company launched Galactic 01, which was the first commercial flight, carrying four passengers, all of which were from Italy, including two members of the Italian Air Force, an engineer from the National Research Council of Italy, and a Virgin Galactic astronaut. During the flight, the crew of Galactic 01 conducted 13 experiments.
Thursday's flight included many achievements, including the first mother-daughter duo in space and the third oldest person to go to space, among others. The three civilian astronauts included 80-year-old Jon Goodwin, who competed in the 1972 Munich Games as a canoeist, and Keisha Schahaff and Anastasia Mayers, a mother-daughter duo from the Caribbean. They won their seats in a drawing raising funds for the nonprofit Space for Humanity.
With another successful flightof Galactic 02, commercial space tourism is a reality for Virgin Galactic in New Mexico. It will now begin offering monthly flights. Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, stated: “Today, Virgin Galactic took another historic leap forward by flying our first private astronaut mission and demonstrating how our spaceflights will broaden access to space. Jon, Keisha, and Ana each embody our fundamental belief that space is for everyone, and we are proud that today's flight has inspired people and communities around the world. This is just the beginning, as we plan to continue flying monthly spaceflights while also developing our Delta Class production spaceships to scale our business."
With over 800 people on the Virgin Galactic waiting list to fly Spaceport America in Southern New Mexico is about to get busy and garner much attention from around the world. This is just the first step to a whole new world of space tourism. New Mexico is leaving the path to this Néw industry that will evolve and grow over time.
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