Virgin Galactic is gearing up for its first commercial spaceflight, Galactic 01, after years of development. The company recently confirmed that the inaugural mission will take place between June 27th and June 30th. This significant milestone will involve carrying three individuals from Italy’s Air Force and National Research Council, who will conduct microgravity research during the flight. While Virgin had previously anticipated a late June launch, the company has now officially committed to this timeframe.
Following Galactic 01, Virgin Galactic has already scheduled subsequent flights. Galactic 02 is expected to take place in early August and will feature a private crew. Virgin plans to continue regular monthly flights thereafter, although specific details about future missions have yet to be released. The company intends to live stream at least the first two flights through its website, offering the public a chance to witness the historic events.
Virgin Galactic conducted its most recent test flight, the fifth spaceflight in its history, in late May as part of its preparations for commercial service. However, the company faced numerous delays and setbacks throughout its development journey. After completing its initial SpaceShipTwo test flights in 2013, Virgin temporarily suspended its efforts following the tragic crash of VSS Enterprise in 2014. Flight testing only resumed in late 2016 with the glide test of VSS Unity. The company achieved space for the first time in 2018 but had to wait until 2021 to conduct its first fully crewed spaceflight with founder Richard Branson on board. Virgin Galactic has faced multiple delays in launching its commercial service, most recently due to the upgrading process of its VMS Eve “mothership,” which carries the SpaceShipTwo vehicles to their launch altitude.
The debut of commercial spaceflight is a crucial milestone for Virgin Galactic’s business. The company has been operating at a loss for several years, accumulating losses of over $500 million in 2022 alone. While commercial service at a ticket price of $450,000 per person may not yield an immediate return on investments, it will provide Virgin Galactic with a significant revenue stream and help offset its financial losses.
While this marks an important moment for Virgin Galactic’s entry into space tourism, it still lags behind Blue Origin in that regard. However, Virgin will surpass SpaceX, as Elon Musk’s company’s Starship rocket has yet to reach space and is not anticipated to launch its first lunar tourist flights until late 2024 at the earliest. Although Virgin Galactic has less ambitious goals compared to SpaceX, it is achieving its objectives at an earlier stage. This puts the company in a favorable position within the emerging space tourism industry.
