Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

Branson’s Virgin Galactic commercial space flights to start this month

by June 16, 2023
June 16, 2023
Branson’s Virgin Galactic commercial space flights to start this month

Sir Richard Branson’s space tourism company Virgin Galactic says it will launch its first commercial flight before the end of this month.

The firm is targeting a launch window for the flight, which is called Galactic 01, from 27 June to 30 June.

After the announcement to investors, Virgin Galactic shares jumped more than 40% in extended New York trading.

In May, Virgin Orbit – a separate space firm owned by the UK billionaire – shut down, months after a mission failed.

Virgin Galactic said the first flight will be a scientific research mission, carrying three crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy to conduct microgravity research.

The company said its second commercial spaceflight will follow in early August, and it expects to operate monthly spaceflights from then on.

It marks a key milestone for the 19-year-old Virgin Galactic, which has had to overcome a series of accidents and technical challenges.

Last month, Virgin Galactic’s rocket plane, which is called Unity, was back in action after a gap of almost two years.

The vehicle, with two pilots and four passengers aboard, climbed high over the New Mexico desert in the US to the edge of space – before gliding back down.

It was billed as the vehicle’s final test flight before the launch of the firm’s long-awaited debut commercial service.

Virgin Galactic has sold more than 800 tickets to people who want to ride over 80km (260,000ft) above Earth.

The flights are designed to give passengers views from space at the top of its climb and allow them a few minutes to experience weightlessness. They cost $450,000 (£352,170) per person.

While Virgin Galactic focusses on space tourism, Sir Richard also had ambitions to launch satellites with his rocket company, Virgin Orbit.

However Virgin Orbit shut down in May after the failure of a mission which had been billed as a potential milestone for UK space exploration.

Earlier in the year, the firm, which was set up to launch satellites, paused operations to try to boost its finances.

Virgin Orbit has now sold off items, including its converted jet Cosmic Girl, and most of its headquarters in California.

It has been a tumultuous period for the Virgin boss.

Sir Richard told the BBC in May that he had personally lost around £1.5bn (£1.9bn) during the pandemic after lockdowns hit his airline and leisure businesses.

“There was a time when I thought we were going to lose everything”, he said. However, he has managed to retain his billionaire status – he has a net worth of £2.4bn according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List.

Read more:
Branson’s Virgin Galactic commercial space flights to start this month

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Safety Tips When Treating Men for Enlarged Prostate (BPH) and Chronic Prostatitis
next post
GOP Senators demand accountability from Biden after China committed ‘flagrant violation of US sovereignty’

You may also like

Strikes take their toll on multiple sectors

August 26, 2022

Does The IRS Settle For Less Than Owed?  

September 1, 2023

Why Outsourced Accounting Services Are the Future of...

May 26, 2025

BT and Barclaycard Payments partner to offer benefits...

August 12, 2022

British industry held back by “flip-flopping” Conservative government...

May 9, 2023

Deliveroo raises profit guidance on back of surging...

January 17, 2025

Concerns Arise Over Tax on State Pensions Despite...

June 21, 2024

Biden bans US investment in Chinese tech as...

August 10, 2023

Opportunities for Sustainability: Bitcoin and Renewable Energy

January 18, 2024

HMRC treats taxpayers like they’re potential criminals, says...

May 16, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Silver’s Surge is No Fluke—Here’s the Strange Ratio Driving It

      June 6, 2025
    • Friday Feature: Incubate Debate

      June 6, 2025
    • Risch urges ‘top to bottom’ USAID spending review after waste, fraud exposed

      June 6, 2025
    • Universities in Libertarian Land

      June 6, 2025
    • Elon Musk may speak to Trump aides in push to calm feud

      June 6, 2025
    • Everyone Talks About Leaving a Better Planet for Our Children: Why Don’t We Leave Better Children for Our Planet?

      June 6, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,149)
    • Investing (2,013)
    • Politics (15,545)
    • Stocks (3,131)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved