Virgin Galactic takes its first 3 tourists to space – 08/10/2023 – Science

The first space tourists transported by the American company Virgin Galactic arrived in space this Thursday (10), announced the company founded by billionaire Richard Branson, thus fulfilling a promise made two decades ago.

The three passengers—80-year-old Jon Goodwin; Keisha Schahaff, 46; and her 18-year-old daughter Anastatia Mayers — spent a few minutes in space and were able to observe Earth’s curvature and briefly float in zero gravity, as shown in the company’s video feed.

They were accompanied, on the VSS Unity spacecraft, by an employee responsible for supervising them and two pilots. The mission, called Galactic 02, is Virgin’s second commercial flight.

The first was carried out at the end of June, but its passengers were senior officials of the Italian Air Force who carried out various experiments on board, not civilians traveling for leisure.

Previously, the company has made several test flights, including one with Branson himself, in July 2021. This is the seventh time that VSS Unity has gone into space.

A huge plane took off from a conventional runway in New Mexico and, after a period of ascent, released the craft, which resembles a large private jet.

The spacecraft then started its engine and accelerated vertically until it surpassed an altitude of more than 80 km, the beginning of space according to the US Army.

At its maximum point, the spacecraft reached 88 km, announced a commentator during the live broadcast. Then it quickly began its descent while gliding, until it landed on the same runway.

800 customers waiting

Keisha Schahaff and Anastatia Mayers are from Antigua and Barbuda, a Caribbean country, and won the tickets when their mother participated in a fundraiser organized by Virgin Galactic.

Founder Branson was the one who broke the news to Schahaff, visiting her home and handing her an astronaut suit.

The billionaire returned to Antigua and Barbuda on Thursday to watch the flight with their family, he said on social media, posting a photo of himself with Schahaff’s mother, Mayers’ grandmother.

The third passenger, 80-year-old Jon Goodwin, participated in the 1972 Olympic Games and was the second person with Parkinson’s disease to go into space. He will not be the oldest, a record beaten by William Shatner at 90.

Fewer than 700 people worldwide have been in space, according to the company, which promised one space flight per month.

Around 800 customers bought their tickets, for prices ranging from US$ 200,000 to US$ 450,000 (R$ 971,440 to R$ 2,185,740, at current prices).

Virgin’s space program has been delayed for several years, mainly due to an accident in 2014 in which a pilot died.

Virgin Galactic competes with billionaire Jeff Bezos’ company, Blue Origin, which also offers short suborbital flights and has flown 31 people into space.

Since an accident in September 2022 during an unmanned flight, the Blue Origin rocket has remained on the ground. In March, Bezos’ company promised to resume its flights “soon”.