Founded in 2004 by British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic aims to make space tourism accessible to more people than ever before. The company is developing a fleet of spacecraft that will take paying customers on suborbital flights to the edge of space. These flights will offer passengers several minutes of weightlessness and breathtaking views of Earth from over 50 miles up.
Virgin Galactic’s spaceships are launched mid-air from a carrier aircraft called WhiteKnightTwo. At an altitude of about 45,000 feet, SpaceShipTwo is released and its rocket motor ignites, accelerating the craft to over three times the speed of sound. Passengers experience forces up to 6g as the spacecraft climbs at a steep angle to the boundary of space. At the apex of its flight, SpaceShipTwo offers jaw-dropping views of Earth and the blackness of space from its many windows. After a few minutes of weightlessness, the spacecraft glides back down for a runway landing.
To make this experience as safe and enjoyable as possible, Virgin Galactic has built redundancy into all critical systems and components. The spaceship also has an innovative feathering system which folds the wings up vertically for stability during atmospheric re-entry. Extensive testing and evaluation of each new vehicle aims to push safety margins beyond regulatory requirements.
Aspiring astronauts undergo three days of preparation at Virgin Galactic’s training facility to familiarize themselves with the spaceflight experience. This includes mission briefings, spacesuit fittings, simulator training, and health screenings. On launch day, friends and family can watch the takeoff and landing from the company’s Spaceport America facility in New Mexico.
Virgin Galactic has come a long way technologically to make reusable, frequent spaceflights a reality. Over 17 years of research and testing led to major milestones like the first crewed SpaceShipTwo flight in 2018. In 2022, the company received FAA approval for full commercial service. While early spaceflights carried mostly company mission specialists, 2023 saw the first private astronauts launch.
The company has already taken reservations from over 700 future astronauts from 60 countries, representing over $80 million in potential revenue. Tickets currently cost $450,000 with an initial deposit of $150,000. While still exclusive, this is significantly cheaper than the $20-50 million price tag for orbital spaceflight offered by competitors. Virgin Galactic aims to continuously improve its vehicles to increase flight rate and reduce ticket prices to make the experience more accessible over time.
As the first commercial spaceline, Virgin Galactic has had its challenges but retains ambitious long-term goals. The company is working on a new Delta class of spacecraft that will support weekly or even daily flights. They are also looking into hypersonic point-to-point travel that could revolutionize long distance transportation.
Virgin Galactic offers more than just adventure to wealthy tourists. While generating funding for further development, these initial private missions also carry payloads for microgravity research in fields like astrophysics, biomedicine, and materials science. The company has partnered with NASA and major universities for this program.
Additionally, Virgin Galactic founded the non-profit Virgin Galactic Foundation to inspire and prepare young people for careers in STEM fields. By giving more people first-hand experience with spaceflight, they hope to motivate youth around the world to help solve problems back on Earth.
The dawn of private space companies signals towards exciting possibilities for the future, moving faster than government-funded programs could have. In the long run, innovation and competition from Virgin Galactic and peers striving towards better technology at lower costs can provide benefits across many industries and fields.
While the road has been long with setbacks for Virgin Galactic, recent momentum highlights the rapid pace of progress in aerospace. 2024 and beyond will prove to be a pivotal time for the company as a prominent leader in the emerging era of commercial human spaceflight.
