Virgin Galactic's first commercial spaceflight in June: Check ticket price
Virgin Galactic is all set to launch its first commercial spaceflight later this month. The maiden mission, which is called Galactic 01, has been booked by the Italian Air Force for research purposes. The company has currently fixed a launch window between June 27 and June 30 for its debut space flight, if everything goes according to plan.
Why does this story matter?
The road ahead is an exciting one for Virgin Galactic. Considering that the company has several ambitious plans for the future, which include flying commercial flights every month, it sure is exhibiting its dominance in the space tourism sector. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos-led Blue Origin also takes people to suborbital space on its New Shepard vehicle. However, New Shepard has not launched since September 2022.
What is the Galactic 01 spaceflight about?
Virgin Galactic's upcoming commercial spaceflight, Galactic 01, is a scientific research mission by the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy. Three people will fly to space on Galactic 01 to carry out microgravity research. "With scientific payloads on board, the spaceflight will showcase the value and power of the unique suborbital science lab that Virgin Galactic offers," said the company.
Virgin Galactic's suborbital spaceflight system comprises two components
Virgin Galactic's spaceflight system comprises two components. One is a two-pilot, six-passenger space plane called VSS Unity and the other is a carrier plane called VMS Eve. During the launch, VMS Eve takes off along with Unity. At an altitude of about 50,000 feet, the Eve aircraft releases the Unity spaceplane, which then fires up its onboard engines to head to suborbital space.
Passengers experience weightlessness for a brief period during suborbital flights
People who are aboard the Unity spaceplane get to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and can see Earth from space. Unity then makes its return trip to Earth, ending the space trip with a runway landing.
The company charges $450,000 per seat
Virgin Galactic has a busy schedule in the upcoming months. The company is planning to send its second commercial spaceflight, dubbed Galactic 02, in early August. After that, it aims to launch commercial flights every month. These commercial space flights will lift off from Spaceport America, New Mexico. It will cost you $450,000 (roughly Rs. 3.7 crore) for a space ride with the company.
Virgin Galactic has big plans for the future
Virgin Galactic is also working on "Delta-class" space planes that will be capable of flying once a week. These new space vehicles will start flying in 2026, said the company.
