Virgin Galactic, the company of billionaire Richard Branson, completes its first manned space flight

The company successfully conducted its first space flight in more than two years. Virgin Galactic’s Unity spacecraft is designed so that six passengers along with two pilots can travel to the edge of space

Photo: GENE BLEVINS / AFP / Getty Images

Virgin Galactic, the company of millionaire Richard Branson , successfully made his first space trip in more than two years this Saturday , so it takes another step to achieve the development of its space tourism business model.

The ship called VSS Unity, was placed at an altitude of about 44, 000 feet by the VMS Eve transporter plane and then release the ship into the atmosphere that ignited its rocket to accelerate to more than three times the speed of sound .

Some photos from today’s aborted @ VirginGalactic launch. Glad everyone is ok. This is what testing is for. @ NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/o4dG3JKHoe

– Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer) December 11, 2020

The Unity spacecraft experienced microgravity upon reaching the edge of space and then return to the atmosphere and land on the company’s headquarters runway at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

VSS Unity, our two pilots and @ NASA_Technology supported experiments are now in space . # VirginGalactic

– Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) May 22, 2021

The ship was piloted by CJ Sturckow and Dave Mackay who have already flown into space before, as well as their colleagues Michael “Sooch” Masucci and Mark Stucky and astronaut training chief Beth Moses.

It was the company’s first space flight since February and the third to date. Virgin Galactic conducted two spaceflight tests from its Mojave Desert facility in California before moving to its operational base in New Mexico.

The value of Virgin Galactic is rising

Related: Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ company, will launch the 12 July the first space tourism flight

This Saturday’s flight is one of four that the company is missing from the completion of the development of its SpaceShipTwo rocket system . In the second test the ship will accommodate four passengers to test the ship’s cabin and in the third it is expected that its founder Sir Richard Branson will fly together with two of his sons into the ship .

The company already has some 600 reservations for future flights that are sold at prices ranging from $ 200, 000 and $ 200, 000 dollars each one.

Virgin Galactic’s Unity spacecraft is designed to accommodate up to six passengers along with the two pilots. The commercial service promised by the company has been delayed since the middle of 2020 to offer their first trip to their customers at the beginning of 2022.

Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ space company, announced that it will take its first crew of astronauts into space on 20 July of this year .

You may be interested in:

• $ 516 million dollars: The winning ticket of the Mega Millions was sold in Pennsylvania
• The schedule for delivery of the child tax credit, according to the IRS: you can receive a payment or in several months
• Paper check or bank deposit? How you will receive payment of the IRS Child Tax Credit