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Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company launched by British billionaire Richard Branson, has successfully sent its first group of space tourists to the edge of space. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to fulfill its promises. The VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic’s rocket-powered space plane, took off from a New Mexico spaceport attached to a large twin-fuselage mothership. The passengers on board included Keisha Schahaff, an entrepreneur and health coach, her daughter Anastatia Mayers, who won their seats in a fundraiser drawing, as well as former Olympian Jon Goodwin, who competed as a canoeist in the 1972 Munich Summer Games. Goodwin became the second person with Parkinson’s disease to travel to space.
The journey began at Virgin Galactic’s spaceport in New Mexico, where the passengers boarded the VSS Unity beneath the wing of the mothership called VMS Eve. The mothership took off like an airplane and ascended to an altitude of over 40,000 feet. At that point, the VSS Unity was released and its rocket engine propelled it upward, reaching an altitude of over 50 miles above Earth’s surface, considered the edge of outer space by the US government. The space plane reached supersonic speeds and experienced a few minutes of weightlessness before gliding back to the spaceport for a runway landing. The entire journey lasted about an hour.
The passengers were thrilled by their experience. Goodwin described it as “completely surreal” and “the most exciting day of my life.” Mayers mentioned feeling a strong connection to everything and being in awe. Schahaff expressed that the experience gave her a sense of empowerment and the belief that she can achieve anything.
This mission followed the success of Virgin Galactic’s first commercial flight in June, which focused on research and had Italian air force-funded passengers on board. Thursday’s mission was the first to include tourists, who flew for the experience rather than for professional reasons. Schahaff and Mayers won their seats through a drawing that raised $1.7 million for the non-profit organization Space for Humanity. They were among the first from the Caribbean islands to travel to space.
The successful launch of its first tourists is a significant achievement for Virgin Galactic, which has faced delays in delivering on its promises over the years. With the company now operational, it can focus on fulfilling its backlog of customer flights. Virgin Galactic has sold approximately 800 tickets, with prices ranging from $250,000 to $450,000 per ticket. CEO Michael Colglazier expressed his excitement for the future, stating that this accomplishment would pave the way for a new era of private suborbital spaceflight.
Looking ahead, Virgin Galactic plans to continue using its current space plane and mothership until at least 2026, after which it will introduce an updated line of hardware called “Delta ships.” These new crafts will be more cost-effective and capable of conducting more flights in less time.