Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Achieves Milestone in Space Travel
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Chapter 1: Virgin Galactic's Historic Flight
On July 11th, 2021, Virgin Galactic’s founder, Richard Branson, made headlines by flying to the edge of space aboard the VSS Unity spacecraft. The flamboyant billionaire, now 70 years old, departed from Spaceport America in New Mexico. Utilizing a carrier aircraft, the VSS Unity ascended to the edge of space, allowing Branson and his crew a fleeting experience of weightlessness before a safe landing back on Earth. This momentous event marked Virgin Galactic's inaugural fully-crewed flight.
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Section 1.1: The Cost of Space Tourism
While this achievement showcases yet another wealthy individual venturing into space, the reality is that tickets for Virgin Galactic flights will set you back hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nevertheless, this price is considerably lower compared to previous costs associated with space tourism. "If we can do this, imagine what you can do," Branson remarked during a live stream of the suborbital journey.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Technology Behind VSS Unity
In contrast to Jeff Bezos’ New Shepard and Elon Musk’s Crew Dragon, the SpaceShipTwo does not launch like a traditional rocket. It reserves its rocket engine for several minutes after liftoff, initially lifted by a WhiteKnightTwo-class carrier named VMS Eve. This carrier jet ascends to a cruising altitude, detaches, and returns to the ground, enabling VSS Unity to ignite its single rocket engine and soar to an impressive 282,773 feet (53.5 miles).
Section 1.2: A New Era in Spaceflight
After the successful flight and landing, Branson addressed a jubilant audience, proclaiming the dawn of a new era in space exploration. Notably, VSS Unity's peak altitude fell below the internationally recognized Kármán line (62 miles), yet the United States acknowledges a lower threshold of 50 miles to define the boundary of space. Thus, Branson and his crew can technically claim they reached space.
Chapter 2: The Future of Space Tourism
This video showcases the remarkable moment when Virgin Galactic Unity ascends to suborbital space, featuring commercial passengers for the second time. The journey reflects the potential of space tourism for the future.
In this replay, experience the full broadcast of Virgin Galactic's second commercial crew spaceflight aboard VSS Unity. Witness the excitement and challenges of this groundbreaking mission.
Although no paying tourists were aboard for this flight, the Unity 22 mission included Virgin Galactic employees such as Beth Moses, Colin Bennett, and Sirisha Bandla, with pilots Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci at the helm, as they had in previous missions.
Virgin Galactic commenced taking reservations a decade ago, and over 600 affluent individuals have paid as much as $250,000 for a seat in space. Soon, those ticket holders will finally get their chance to fly. For others interested in experiencing this adventure, registration is now open, and Virgin Galactic will notify potential customers when sales resume. Be aware, however, that the ticket price may increase. While it may take some time before an average person can secure a space trip, competitors like SpaceX and Blue Origin may demand even higher costs, albeit with the perk of a complimentary flight suit.