Virgin Galactic has announced that it is finally prepared to take on paying customers after years of development. The company has confirmed that its first commercial spaceflight, Galactic 01, will launch between June 27th and June 30th. This initial mission will involve three individuals from Italy’s Air Force and National Research Council who will conduct research on microgravity. Although Virgin had anticipated a late June launch, the company has now officially committed to this timeframe.
In addition, Virgin already has follow-up flights in the works. Galactic 02 is set to launch in early August with a private crew onboard. Afterward, Virgin plans to conduct monthly flights, although specific details about future missions have not yet been announced. The company will be streaming the first two flights live on its website.
Prior to this commercial launch, Virgin has undergone numerous delays and setbacks. Its most recent pre-commercial flight test was conducted in late May, marking the company’s fifth spaceflight overall. Virgin initially began test flights for its SpaceShipTwo in 2013, but progress was paused following the fatal crash of VSS Enterprise in 2014. Flight testing eventually resumed with VSS Unity’s glide test at the end of 2016. Virgin successfully reached space in 2018 but had to wait until 2021 to execute its first fully crewed spaceflight featuring founder Richard Branson. Commercial service had to be postponed multiple times due to various factors, most recently due to delays in upgrading the VMS Eve “mothership” responsible for carrying SpaceShipTwo vehicles to their launch altitude.
The debut of commercial service holds significant importance for Virgin’s business. The company has been operating at a loss for years, accumulating over $500 million in losses in 2022 alone. While the $450,000 ticket price for commercial flights will not immediately recoup these investments, it will provide Virgin with a substantial source of revenue.
It is important to note that this isn’t Virgin’s first venture into space tourism. In this aspect, Virgin still trails behind Blue Origin. However, Galactic 01 will put Virgin ahead of SpaceX, as the latter’s Starship rocket has yet to reach space and is not expected to launch its first lunar tourist flights until late 2024 at the earliest. Although Virgin may be less ambitious than Elon Musk’s operation, it is achieving its goals at a faster pace.
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Deepak Sen is a tech enthusiast who covers the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets. His articles provide readers with a glimpse into the ever-evolving world of technology.
