Virgin Galactic has revealed the crew members for its first commercial spaceflight, Galactic 01, scheduled for June 29. The crew consists of two members from the Italian Air Force and one from the National Research Council of Italy, accompanied by an astronaut instructor from Virgin Galactic. During the 90-minute flight, the crew will conduct suborbital science experiments, utilizing VSS Unity’s cabin, which will be transformed into a suborbital science lab. The experiments will include research in biomedicine, thermo-fluid dynamics, and the development of innovative materials in microgravity conditions.
Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, expressed his honor in supporting the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council on their first space research mission, stating that Virgin Galactic’s research missions will pave the way for repeatable and reliable access to space for government and research institutions. The crew members onboard VSS Unity are Col. Walter Villadei and Lt. Col. Angelo Landolfi from the Italian Air Force, Pantaleone Carlucci from the National Research Council of Italy, and Colin Bennett, an astronaut instructor from Virgin Galactic.
In addition to the experiments, Virgin Galactic performed a spaceflight on Monday as the final test before the upcoming commercial spaceflight. The mission marked their return to space after a hiatus of nearly two years. The spaceplane, VSS Unity, safely landed at Spaceport America in New Mexico. CEO Michael Colglazier praised the mission as a fantastic achievement for the company.
Virgin Galactic has already sold 800 tickets for future commercial spaceflights. Between 2005 and 2014, 600 tickets were sold for $200,000 to $250,000 each. An additional 200 tickets have been sold after that period, priced at $450,000 each. The company faces competition in the suborbital space tourism sector from Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, which has already sent 32 people into space.
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