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| Funky suits for the crew of Unity 22 Photo Virgin Galactic. |
The flight today of the Virgin Galactic VSS Unity on Unity 22 mission has effectively opened the door to space travel for many.
It has paved the way for commercial space flights for normal fare-paying passengers, well ok sure, for those normal folks with deep deep pockets, but where they go now, the rest of us will surely follow.
Today’s flight was the 22nd test flight of VSS Unity and the first test flight with a full crew in the cabin, including Sir Richard Branson. The crew fulfilled a number of test objectives related to the cabin and customer experience, including evaluating the commercial customer cabin, the views of Earth from space, the conditions for conducting research and the effectiveness of the five-day pre-flight training program at Spaceport America.
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Sir Richard Branson enjoys weightlessness during the flight. Photo Virgin Galactic |
VSS Unity achieved a speed of Mach 3 after being released from the mothership, VMS Eve. The vehicle reached space, at an altitude of 53.5 miles, before gliding smoothly to a runway landing at Spaceport America.
You can watch the recording of the live stream below.
"Just watching it on the live stream as it happened was unexpectedly moving. I held my breath as Unity was released from the mothership and was only able to take a big gulp of air when the booster fired and drive the craft toward space" Jason Shaw said.
Sir Richard Branson said: “I have dreamt about this moment since I was a child, but nothing could have prepared me for the view of Earth from space. We are at the vanguard of a new space age. As Virgin’s founder, I was honoured to test the incredible customer experience as part of this remarkable crew of mission specialists and now astronauts. I can’t wait to share this experience with aspiring astronauts around the world."
Branson continued, “Our mission is to make space more accessible to all. In that spirit, and with today’s successful flight of VSS Unity, I’m thrilled to announce a partnership with Omaze and Space for Humanity to inspire the next generation of dreamers. For so long, we have looked back in wonder at the space pioneers of yesterday. Now, I want the astronauts of tomorrow to look forward and make their own dreams come true.”
Just visit Omaze.com/space for your chance to win 2 tickets on a future commercial spaceflight with Virgin Galactic. Plus you'll get to join Sir Richard Branson for a personal VIP tour of Spaceport America - he's even promised lots of chocolates too! Be flown to the home of Spaceport America in New Mexico (hotel included!) We've entered......
The door to space is now well and truly open.
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