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Additional Media

đź”´Unity 25 - Virgin Galactic Return to Flight

🔴 After a nearly two-year pause in flights, starting after a deviation from controlled airspace during Sir Richard Branson’s flight in July 2021, the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity is being pr...

VSS Unity 25

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Suborbital
Mission: Test Flight

Suborbital Spaceport America Air launch to Suborbital flight

Virgin Galactic return to space mission ahead of the first commercial flight.

Updates

Nosu • May 8, 2023, 3:59 p.m.

Adding launch NET late May


Cosmic_Penguin • May 17, 2023, 11:15 a.m.

NET May 25.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 21, 2023, 2:25 p.m.

Added flight window.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 24, 2023, 11:46 p.m.

Confirmed Go for launch.


Cosmic_Penguin • May 25, 2023, 1:58 p.m.

NET 14:30 UTC.


SpaceShipTwo

Family:
Configuration:

The Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2) is an air-launched suborbital spaceplane type designed for space tourism. It is manufactured by The Spaceship Company, a California-based company owned by Virgin Galactic.

Specifications
  • Stages
    1
  • Length
    18.0 m
  • Diameter
    8.2 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    ―
  • Launch Mass
    9.0 T
  • Thrust
    310.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    SpaceShipTwo
  • Family
    ―
  • Variant
    ―
  • Alias
    ―
  • Full Name
    SpaceShipTwo
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    ―
  • Low Earth Orbit
    ―
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    ―
  • Direct Geostationary
    ―
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    ―

VSS Unity


Active Human Rated Crew On-board: 6 Crew Capacity: 8
Destination: Suborbital
Serial Number: N202VG

VSS Unity, previously referred to as VSS Voyager, is a SpaceShipTwo-class suborbital rocket-powered crewed spaceplane. It is the second SpaceShipTwo to be built and will be used as part of the Virgin Galactic fleet.

SpaceShipTwo Details

Crew


Michael Masucci

Commander - configurations.Country.None - ( VG )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: None
Age: None

Frederick W. Sturckow

Pilot - configurations.Country.None - ( VG )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: Aug. 11, 1961
Age: 64

Christopher Huie

Passenger - configurations.Country.None - ( VG )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: None
Age: None

Jamila Gilbert

Passenger - configurations.Country.None - ( VG )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: None
Age: None

Luke Mays

Passenger - configurations.Country.None - ( VG )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: None
Age: None

Beth Moses

Passenger - configurations.Country.None - ( VG )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: May 30, 1980
Age: 46

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic

(VG)

Founder: Richard Branson Founded: 2004 Successes: 62 Failures: 5 Pending: 1

Agency Type:

Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflight company within the Virgin Group. It is developing commercial spacecraft and aims to provide suborbital spaceflights to space tourists. Virgin Galactic's suborbital spacecraft are air launched from beneath a carrier airplane known as White Knight Two.

INFO WIKI

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Virgin Galactic quarterly loss widens while company preps for spaceflight return this month

Virgin Galactic is aiming to fly its first spaceflight in nearly two years later this month, but the company’s first quarter loss widened dramatically as it funds its fleet growth.

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Virgin Galactic targets May 25 for first spaceflight since Richard Branson’s trip

Virgin Galactic is targeting as early as May 25 for the launch of its next spaceflight, which marks both its first in nearly two years since flying founder Sir Richard Branson and its planned last step before beginning commercial service.

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Virgin Galactic makes first suborbital spaceflight in nearly two years

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle flew to space for the first time in nearly two years May 25 on what the company projected to be the vehicle’s final test flight before commencing commercial operations.

NASASpaceflight

VSS Unity conducts first powered flight since Branson’s trip in 2021

After a nearly two-year pause in flights, starting after a deviation from controlled airspace during Sir Richard Branson’s flight in July 2021, the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity made its first powered flight since the eventful Uni…

Air launch to Suborbital flight

Spaceport America


Falcon 9
Success
2 days ago
Starlink Group 17-52
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 20 hours ago
NROL-95
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office.


Long March 6A
Success
4 days, 2 hours ago
TJSW-27A & B
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

2 Chinese classified satellites claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Long March 7A
Success
4 days, 15 hours ago
Tianlian 3-01
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

Tianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL-3 (Tian Lian 3) satellites are the 3rd generation…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 17-51
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Starship
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Flight 13
Orbital Launch Pad 2 - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA

13th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Second flight of Starship V3. For the first time, Starship will carry 20 V3 Starlink sa…


Kinetica 1
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
5 satellites
Launch Area 130 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Share-ride of 5 commercial Earth observation and technology demonstration satellites to SSO, including SpaceTY's TY-48. Details TBD.


Long March 3B/E
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Tianlian 2-06
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Tianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL 2 (Tian Lian 2) satellites represent the second g…


Gravity-1
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
9 satellites
Yellow Sea (launch location 5) - Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

Carried 9 satellites on a share-ride to sun-synchronous orbit. Details TBD.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
MRV-1
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

The Northrop Grumman/SpaceLogistics MRV-1 is a mission extension payload including a mission robotic vehicle (MRV) and multiple mission extension pod…