Virgin Galactic's maiden First Private Space Tourist Flight
Virgin Galactic successfully launched its inaugural flight carrying private space tourists, marking a significant milestone in Richard Branson's mission to establish a “spaceline for Earth.” The flight, named VSS Unity, took off beneath the wing of a carrier plane at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time in New Mexico.
During its journey, VSS Unity is expected to reach the edge of space after about an hour of flight. Passengers onboard, including 80-year-old Jon Goodwin, a British former Olympian with Parkinson's Disease, as well as Keisha Schahaff and Anastasia Mayers, a mother-daughter duo from the Caribbean who secured their seats through a charitable drawing, will experience several minutes of weightlessness before beginning their descent back to solid ground. Accompanying them are two pilots and a Virgin Galactic support astronaut.
This landmark suborbital excursion signifies the culmination of nearly two decades of development efforts and, if successful, will allow Virgin Galactic to finally address a backlog of around 800 ticket holders eagerly awaiting their chance to experience space travel. The company's endeavor puts it in direct competition with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, both vying to offer thrill-seekers the opportunity to briefly escape Earth's gravitational pull—an aspiration that spurred the creation of these companies.
In response to this achievement, Virgin Galactic's stock saw a 1.8% increase to $3.44 as of 10:40 a.m. in New York, though it had experienced a nearly 3% decline earlier in the year. The company was listed on the stock market through a reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in 2019, following a journey that began in 2004.
Notably, this flight follows the commencement of Virgin Galactic's commercial spaceflight operations just over a month ago. The inaugural flight, Galactic 01, was primarily a research mission that accommodated researchers from the Italian Air Force, focusing on scientific experiments designed for the microgravity environment of space.
Virgin Galactic's history has been marked by both accomplishments and setbacks. In 2018, the company achieved its first spaceflight milestone, and it captured global attention in 2021 by sending Richard Branson himself to space. Subsequent to this, the company temporarily suspended space missions for approximately two years to enhance its fleet of vehicles. Ticket sales resumed in 2022, with prices set at $450,000 per seat.
As the company addresses its current backlog of passengers, it is also actively developing a new generation of space vehicles known as the Delta class. These innovative vessels, slated to become operational by 2026, are designed to facilitate more efficient refurbishment and quicker turnaround times between flights, ultimately enabling a higher frequency of trips annually.
Mike Moses, President of Spaceline Missions and Safety, highlighted the significance of VSS Unity's role as a “loss leader” in demonstrating the company's capabilities and learning vital lessons for future operations. Despite the challenging journey ahead, Virgin Galactic envisions meaningful revenue to materialize over the coming years. Projections indicate approximately $1 million in revenue for each of the final two quarters of the year, with potential increases if research flights, priced at approximately $600,000 per seat, are incorporated.
CEO Michael Colglazier expressed optimism regarding the profitability of Virgin Galactic's endeavors, especially as the company envisions flying the Delta class on a weekly basis to the edge of space. While he acknowledges the initial limitations of suborbital space tourism, he anticipates that the growing number of private astronauts will gradually normalize the concept, making it a more accessible and commonplace aspiration.
In summary, Virgin Galactic's successful launch of its first private space tourist flight represents a major leap forward in the realization of commercial space travel, underscoring the company's commitment to turning space tourism into a tangible reality for those who seek to venture beyond Earth's boundaries.
TO GET MORE LATEST NEWS UPDATES: Speed news
