Virgin Galactic Sets Launch Window for First Commercial Flight

Capping nearly 19 years of effort, Virgin Galactic has announced a June 27 to 30 launch window for the maiden commercial flight of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital rocket plane. The company will conduct the launch, which is being dubbed “Galactic 01,” from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

VSS Unity will carry two Italian Air Force officers – Col. Walter Villadei and Lt. Col. Angelo Landolfi – and aerospace engineer Pantaleone Carlucci from Italy’s National Research Council on a research flight.

Villadei will tend to rack-mounted payloads while wearing a smart suit that will measure his physiological responses during the Galactic 01 flight, the company said. Landolfi will conduct tests to measure cognitive performance in microgravity and activate syringe payloads that will measure how specific liquids and solids mix. Carlucci will wear sensors to measure heart rate, brain function, and other performance metrics during the flight.

“We are launching the first commercial spaceline for Earth with two dynamic products — our scientific research and private astronaut space missions,” said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier. “This next exciting chapter for Virgin Galactic has been driven by innovation, determination, and a commitment to delivering an unparalleled and truly transformative customer experience.”

Virgin Galactic’s Chief Astronaut Trainer Beth Moses will join them in the passenger cabin on her fourth suborbital flight. Moses will call out key mission phases and cabin instructions and oversee the execution of the flight timeline.

Wikipedia lists Frederick W. Sturckow and Michael Masucci as the pilots for Galactic 01. It’s not known who will be piloting the WhiteKnightTwo VMS Eve carrier aircraft, which will air launch VSS Unity from an altitude of around 45,000 feet (13,716 meters).

Virgin Galactic said the following Galactic 02 flight will carry paying customers on a suborbital tourism flight in early August. VSS Unity will then conduct monthly suborbital flights.

Virgin Galactic said it would live stream the Galactic 01 and Galactic 02 flights at www.virgingalactic.com.

The company has around 800 people signed up for flights. Ticket prices started out at $200,000 in 2005, increased to $250,000 in 2013, and now cost $450,000.

Sir Richard Branson announced plans to fly people to space on SpaceShipTwo in September 2004. He predicted commercial flights would begin as early as 2007. However, more than a decade of delays – and two fatal accidents that killed four people – pushed back the start of commercial service to this month.

The Galactic 01 mission comes after Virgin Galactic completed flight tests on VSS Unity last month. It was the rocket plane’s fifth flight above the 50-mile (80.5 km) altitude that the US government considers the beginning of space.

The SpaceShipTwo flight test program began in October 2010 with a glide test of the first rocket plane, VSS Enterprise. The vehicle was destroyed in a powered flight on Oct. 31, 2014, resulting in the death of co-pilot Mike Alsbury.