Virgin Galactic has announced the crew members who will be aboard the upcoming “Galactic 01” mission on June 29th. This marks the company’s first fully commercial crewed spaceflight. Colin Bennett, Virgin Galactic’s lead astronaut instructor, will be joined by Walter Villadei and Angelo Landolfi, who are both senior members of the Italian airforce, and Pantaleone Carlucci, a pilot and technical engineer from the National Research Council of Italy (Virgin Galactic, 2023).
With the success of this mission, Virgin Galactic could soon start competing with rival companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, who also offer commercial passenger flights into space (The Verge, 2023).
During the 90-minute flight, the crew will conduct several suborbital science experiments. These experiments include testing equipment for measuring cosmic radiation and studying various materials in microgravity conditions (Virgin Galactic, 2023). The cabin of the SpaceShipTwo vehicle VSS Unity, which houses Virgin Galactic’s passengers, will be converted into a suitable suborbital science lab to facilitate these experiments. Former US Air Force lieutenant colonel Michael Masucci will pilot the VSS Unity, while experienced US military pilots Kelly Latimer and Jameel Janjua will fly the VMS Eve, the mothership that carries Unity into space (Virgin Galactic, 2023).
Michael Colglazier, the chief executive of Virgin Galactic, expressed his honor and excitement about having been selected by the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council to support their first space research mission. He believes that Virgin Galactic’s research missions will bring about a new era of repeatable and reliable access to space for government and research institutions (Virgin Galactic, 2023).
Related Post
The contract for this mission with the Italian Air Force was signed by Virgin Galactic back in 2019, with an estimated flight date between late 2020 and early 2021. However, various factors, including supply chain issues and labor constraints, led to delays. Additionally, the US Federal Aviation Authority grounded all Virgin Galactic flights in late 2021 until a technical investigation was completed following the Unity 22 mission, which carried Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson (SpaceNews, 2019).
Virgin Galactic’s first crewed mission in almost two years took place in May 2023, with a successful test flight. The second commercial spaceflight, “Galactic 02,” is expected to occur in early August, followed by monthly spaceflights (Virgin Galactic, 2023).
It’s worth noting that Virgin’s other space-based venture, Virgin Orbit, faced challenges. The service, which launched small commercial satellites and spun off from Virgin Galactic in 2017, had to cease operations earlier this year due to a lack of additional funding. The decision came just two months after a failed mission in Cornwall, UK (The Verge, 2023).
Overall, Virgin Galactic is making significant progress in the commercial spaceflight industry. With the successful completion of the Galactic 01 mission, the company will be on track to compete with other major players in the market and offer regular access to space for scientific research and tourism.
