Virgin Galactic is developing a suborbital spaceplane called SpaceShipTwo Unity that is designed to fly passengers and payloads to zero gravity. A VSS Unity test flight in early December failed to reach space as intended, however, and now the company knows why.
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Buying a ticket to space has long been a dream that will soon become reality for some and a possibility for even more.
We’re very much in the early days of companies competing for customers who want to experience space firsthand, and 2021 is poised to be a pivotal year for companies including Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin for proving their technology is passenger-ready.
A new report published today predicts the size of the space tourism and travel market by 2030 based on the current pace of innovation. The upshot is that the number of space tourists among us could be measured in the tens of thousands by the end of the decade.
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On October 14, NASA announced that it had selected an experiment by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to participate in its Flight Opportunities program. However, what’s unique about this experiment is that the payload will include a human named Alan Stern.
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Virgin Galactic has ambitious plans to open the edge of space to passengers on its suborbital spaceplane called SpaceShipTwo Unity. Opening the window to space is no simple task, however, and Virgin Galactic is at the mercy of testing and iterating to reach its goal.
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Today, Virgin Galactic has shown off its new non-pressurized flightsuits that its pilots will be wearing in the near future. The flightsuits were designed and created with Technical Spacewear Partner Under Armour.
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After being forced to pause most of its operations at its Spaceport America site in mid-November due to concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, Virgin Galactic is planning on resuming operations under strict guidelines to keep their workers safe.
Virgin announced that it will be opening its first window to launch its VSS Unity sub-orbital spaceplane from its facilities at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
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NASA’s Flight Opportunities program helps scientific and technology demonstration projects have access to the low gravity environment it needs to conduct tests. Virgin Galactic and Masten Space Systems are the latest space companies to join the program. Adding to the four companies already selected, this expanded contract now gives researchers more options for getting their projects into long term zero gravity.
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Virgin Galactic has delayed its planned flight of Virgin SpaceShip Unity from Spaceport America this week. CEO Michael Colglazier cited cited guidance from the New Mexico Department of Health during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as reason for the need to reschedule.
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Virgin Galactic is leaning all the way in on plans to build out future spaceflight and advanced flight services as a business. The company tapped a Disney executive as CEO and unveiled its spacecraft interior design in July. Now Virgin Galactic is teasing a future high-speed aircraft design in partnership with Rolls-Royce.
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From a successful test flight to a new NASA agreement, the first five days in May have been jam-packed for Virgin Galactic.
Now add its first-quarter earnings results (and second-ever investor call) to the list.
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