Commercialising Spaceflights
Virgin Galatic, which is billionaire Richard Branson’s big aerospace company, has already started selling tickets for the eagerly awaited flights into outer space. After years of teasing travellers about booking a trip into space, Virgin Galactic has been selling tickets for spaceflights for $450,000 per journey expected in the last quarter of 2022. In a release after the test-flight Unity-22, Virgin Galactic’s own CEO Michael Colglazier confirmed their intention to have their first 1,000 fliers on commercial service later this year.
This solid start would provide an incredibly strong foundation for regular operations and scale their fleet. Virgin Galactic will launch spaceflights from New Mexico’s Spaceport America. Before take-off in the 6 person rocket, would-be astronauts will spend some days in space preparedness activities and astronaut-specific training programs. They could have three guests for this part of the trip in luxury accommodations while gearing up for the space- launch.
Virgin Galactic’s First Spaceflight
The spaceflight spans 90 minutes with an air launch, includes floating in space and a Mach-3 ride exceeding 300,000 feet above Earth. Their SpaceShipTwo rocket accommodates four guests and two crew members. The space guests will experience weightlessness for many minutes as the spaceship would flip and they savour views of Earth from 17 port-holes. Reservations for this once-in-a-lifetime journey require a $150,000 deposit, but you get most of your money back if you cannot go but Virgin Galactic retains a Future Astronaut Community Access fee of $25,000.
Currently, 700 people have signed up for flights. Travellers get a trip confirmation and an Astronaut Number when bookings are made. The price includes membership of Virgin Galactic’s Future Astronaut community, access to special events with Sir Richard Branson, extensive videos and pictures from their trips. Virgin Galactic revealed a new indigo-based logo and website to coincide with sales launch, inspired by the last visible colour of Earth’s atmosphere before entering space.
Some Delays Expected
Shares in Virgin Galactic unfortunately dived 20% after the first commercial flight scheduled during July-September, 2022 was postponed, as some repairs and upgrades are scheduled. A second planned test flight this year was cancelled. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galatic is in a triangular race with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s Space X, for ferrying tourists into space. VG’s upgrade program aims at enhancing ship durability, as routine tests revealed possible reduction in strength margins of certain materials used on rockets. Earth comes before Space as Virgin Galactic is cleared to resume space flights with further inspection while playing down safety concerns. Latest lab test data had no impact on vehicles, but test flight protocols clearly defined strength margins, with further analysis will reveal if more work is needed to maintain these above established levels.
Space race heats up
Virgin Galatic said its next test flight Unity -23, would be next summer and commercial flights start thereafter. The US Federal Aviation Administration lifted their no-fly order on Virgin Galactic, after it’s July 2021 flight deviated from its assigned airspace while it was descending. The regulator accused Virgin of not providing information about the Branson flight. Meanwhile, American actor William Shatner has become the oldest person yet in space, on board the sub-orbital capsule, Blue Origin developed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Four amateur astronauts also blasted off from Florida in September 2021, on a private mission in Space X’s Dragon spacecraft.