Virgin Galactic achieved a remarkable feat by transporting four tourists to the boundary of space and back aboard its spaceplane, marking the second such voyage undertaken by the company this year, on Saturday. This accomplishment was announced by the company itself, founded by the illustrious entrepreneur, Sir Richard Branson.
The Galactic 07 mission carried passengers hailing from Turkey, the United States, and Italy to an astonishing altitude of approximately 55 miles (88.51 km), with the entire flight lasting slightly over an hour. The space tourism company proudly proclaimed that this mission took off from and returned to the renowned Spaceport America located in the state of New Mexico on the same day.
This flight held a special significance as it marked the final commercial voyage for Virgin’s VSS Unity spaceplane. The company has now set its sights on producing its fourth-generation spaceships, which are expected to enter commercial service in the year 2026, as stated in their official statement.
Among the esteemed passengers was Tuva Atasever, a researcher-astronaut from the Turkish Space Agency, who expressed his awe and wonder at the indescribable beauty of Earth as seen from the vast expanse of space. Joining Atasever on this extraordinary journey were Anand “Andy” Harish Sadhwani from California, Irving Izchak Pergament from New York, and Giorgi Manenti, hailing from Italy.
This flight marked a significant milestone for Virgin Galactic, as it was the seventh commercial spaceflight for the VSS Unity spaceplane and the 12th crewed spaceflight overall. Since its initial test flight in December 2018, the company has now launched a total of 55 passengers and crew members on 11 sub-orbital space flights, a truly remarkable achievement.
With the retirement of the VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic is now focusing its efforts on producing its fourth-generation spaceships, expected to enter commercial service in 2026. These new Delta class spacecraft boast an impressive capacity, capable of flying at least twice a week, approximately eight times the rate of the VSS Unity, a testament to the company’s ambitious vision and technological prowess.