Virgin Galactic photograph

Virgin Galactic

Use attributes for filter !
Parent organizations Virgin Group
Ceo George T. Whitesides
Founded2004
HeadquartersMojave
California
United States
Founders Richard Branson
Burt Rutan
Subsidiary The Spaceship Company
Date of Reg.
Date of Upd.
ID892153
Send edit request

About Virgin Galactic


Virgin Galactic is a spaceflight company within the Virgin Group. It is developing commercial spacecraft and aims to provide suborbital spaceflights to space tourists and suborbital launches for space science missions. Virgin Galactic plans to provide orbital human spaceflights as well.

Virgin Galactic: Student Ana Mayers on going to space with her mum

Virgin Galactic: Student Ana Mayers on going to space with her mum
Aug 25,2023 6:51 am

... The pair, along with former Olympian Jon Goodwin, were on Virgin Galactic s first tourist flight - making them the first mother-daughter duo to fly to space together...

Virgin Galactic: First space tourism mission after decades of promises

Virgin Galactic: First space tourism mission after decades of promises
Aug 10,2023 4:21 pm

...By Thomas MackintoshBBC NewsVirgin Galactic has taken a former Olympian, a University of Aberdeen student and her mother to the edge of space on its first flight for tourists...

Virgin Galactic: Mum, daughter and Brit, 80, count down to space flight

Virgin Galactic: Mum, daughter and Brit, 80, count down to space flight
Aug 10,2023 12:11 am

... Anastatia Mayers and her mother Keisha Schahaff won the tickets to board the Virgin Galactic flight in a competition...

Mother and daughter first to go to space together

Mother and daughter first to go to space together
Aug 6,2023 8:31 pm

...An 18-year-old Aberdeen University student and her mother will travel to space later this week after a winning a place on Virgin Galactic s first commercial flight in a prize draw...

Virgin Orbit: Branson's rocket firm permanently ceases operations

Virgin Orbit: Branson's rocket firm permanently ceases operations
May 24,2023 1:20 am

... It developed rockets to carry small satellites and is part of Sir Richard s business empire, which includes airline Virgin Atlantic and space tourism company Virgin Galactic...

Sir Richard Branson thought 'we were going to lose everything' in pandemic

Sir Richard Branson thought 'we were going to lose everything' in pandemic
May 3,2023 5:11 pm

... " In 2021, Sir Richard achieved a lifelong ambition and reached the edge of space in his Virgin Galactic commercial space plane...

Virgin Orbit: Sir Richard Branson's rocket company lays off 85% of staff

Virgin Orbit: Sir Richard Branson's rocket company lays off 85% of staff
Mar 30,2023 11:00 pm

... It develops rockets to carry small satellites and is part of Sir Richard s business empire, which includes airline Virgin Atlantic and space tourism company Virgin Galactic...

Mark Easton's Boxing Day family puzzler 2021

Mark Easton's Boxing Day family puzzler 2021
Dec 26,2021 5:43 am

... With Richard Branson s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos s Blue Origin looking to go head-to-head in the space tourism market, the British billionaire put tickets on sale in August...

Virgin Galactic: First space tourism mission after decades of promises

Feb 26,2020 11:05 am

By Thomas MackintoshBBC News

Virgin Galactic has taken a former Olympian, a University of Aberdeen student and her mother to The Edge of Space on its First Flight for tourists.

Ana Mayers, 18, and her mother Keisha Schahaff, 46, both from Antigua, won their tickets in a competition.

They became The First mother-daughter duo to fly to Space together.

Jon Goodwin, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, became The Second person with Parkinson's disease to go to Space , A Trip he called " completely surreal".

Mr Goodwin bought his ticket for $250,000 (then £191,000) in 2005.

The Carrier mothership VMS Eve took off from Spaceport America , in The State of New Mexico , at 08:30 local time (15:30 BST).

Fifty minutes into The Flight , The Unity rocket ship separated from Eve as planned.

A Short Time later, The Passengers were given The all-clear to unbuckle and enjoy zero gravity, at an altitude of around 85km (280,000ft).

Ms Mayers, a second-year philosophy and physics student at The University of Aberdeen, immediately reached for The Window to take in The views of Earth and The Black of Space .

The three then returned to their seats and strapped themselves back in ahead of The Return journey.

They successfully landed back at Spaceport America just over an hour after Taking Off .

Speaking at a press conference after The Flight , Ms Schahaff - - Said she was still " up there" following The Experience .

" Looking at Earth was The Most amazing" part of The Trip , She Said .

Mr Goodwin described his experience as The Most exciting day of his life.

Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's several years ago, he was.

" I'm hoping that I instil in Other People around The World , as well as people with Parkinson's, that it doesn't stop you doing things that's out of The normal if you've got some illness, " He Said .

" The Most impressive thing was looking at Earth from Space - The Pure clarity was very moving. "

In a video posted on Social Media , Sir Richard Branson - Virgin Galactic 's Founder - shed tears of joy as he celebrated The Mission from Ms Schahaff and Ms Mayers' native Antigua.

Sir Richard, wrote: " Today we flew three incredible private passengers to Space : Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers and Jon Goodwin.

" Congratulations Virgin Galactic commercial astronauts 011, 012 and 013 - Welcome to The Club ! "

Mr Goodwin was The First on a list of 800 or so individuals who have bought tickets for a Ride On The Unity rocket.

Some of them - including Mr Goodwin - have been waiting over a decade to get their chance, and most still face a long wait.

Sir Richard first announced his intention to make a Space plane in 2004, with The belief he could start a commercial service by 2007.

But technical difficulties - including a fatal crash during a development flight in 2014 - have made The Space Project One of The Most challenging ventures of his career.

Recently, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos ' Space company Blue Origin beat Virgin Galactic in The Race to become The First company to take paying passengers into Space .

Both companies say their missions further science as well as catering to The Very Rich .

But, Space tourism has been criticised for its cost and environmental impact.

Related Topics

Source of news: bbc.com

Virgin Galactic Photos

Related Persons

Next Profile ❯