by Mark Williamson | Jul 12, 2021 | History, Launches, Seradata News, Space tourism, Suborbital, Virgin Galactic
On 11 July, Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson fulfilled a boyhood dream when he flew as ‘Astronaut 001” on his company’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital tourism vehicle, VSS Unity. He described it as “the experience of a lifetime” and “just magical”. The Unity 22...
by Mark Williamson | Jul 5, 2021 | History, Space tourism, Suborbital, Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic announced at the beginning of July that its founder Richard Branson will be a passenger on the next flight of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital tourism vehicle, VSS Unity. Designated ‘Unity 22’, the mission is due to launch on 11 July from its base at...
by Mark Williamson | Jun 8, 2021 | Blue Origin, Space tourism, Suborbital, Virgin Galactic
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos is to fly on the first crewed mission of the New Shepard, which is scheduled to make its historic suborbital journey on 20 July. He will be joined by his younger brother, Mark, and the winner of an online auction for a third seat on the...
by Matt Wilson | May 24, 2021 | Commercial human spaceflight, History, Launches, Personal spaceflight, Seradata News, Space tourism, Suborbital, Virgin Galactic
At 1526 GMT on 22 May Virgin Galactic achieved its first successful suborbital crewed mission from Spaceport America, New Mexico. Following its release from the WhiteKnightTwo – VMS Eve – carrier aircraft the SpaceShipTwo vehicle – VSS Unity –...
by David Todd | Jan 6, 2021 | Launches, Seradata News, Technology, Virgin Galactic
According to the Seradata SpaceTrak launch and satellite database, the “final score” for launches in 2020 is 11 launch failures out of 114 orbital attempts. One of these was really a minor partial involving a pair of stuck Lemur satellites on a Vega (only about 3 per...
by David Todd | Dec 14, 2020 | Launches, Seradata News, Space tourism, Spaceport, Suborbital, Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Unity rocket plane was air-dropped on a suborbital test flight from its mother ship WhiteKnightTwo Eve (which lifted off from Spaceport America at 1524 GMT) from an altitude of 13km at 1615 GMT on 12 December. An attempted ignition was...
