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The VSS Unity spacecraft fired its engine during the Unity 25 spaceflight on May 25, 2023.
Virgo galaxy
Virgo galaxy It aims to launch a commercial space tourism service in late June.
Shares of the company were up more than 40% in extended trading Thursday.
Virgin Galactic said Thursday that the flight, dubbed Galactic 01, is targeting a launch window that opens June 27 and runs through June 30. Virgin Galactic then plans its second commercial flight in “early August” with “monthly” commercial flights thereafter.
Galactic 01 will carry three members of the Italian Air Force to conduct microgravity research with science payloads.
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The company completed its final test spaceflight in May and said Thursday it had completed “routine analysis and vehicle inspections” of its VMS Eve carrier aircraft and VSS Unity spacecraft.
Virgin Galactic’s first commercial spaceflight was a long-awaited milestone for the company to begin raising its 800-passenger interchangeable passenger count. The company was founded in 2004 by billionaire Richard Branson. Virgin Galactic’s launch in June will also begin to move Virgin Galactic toward demonstrating its ability to fly commercial flights regularly, which is crucial to its long-term success.
“We are launching Earth’s first commercial space line with two dynamic products – our science research and private astronaut missions,” Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement.
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