Three private citizens were sent into space and landed safely back on Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity spacecraft, The Hill reported.
Virgin Galactic’s seventh commercial mission had one explorer and three private astronauts on board, the company said on Saturday. The image marks the end of the company’s second spaceflight in 2024 and 12 missions to date.
Two pilots Nicola Pecile and Jameel Janjua were on board, and joined by Giorgio Manenti of Italy, Irving Pergament of New York, Anand Sadhwani of California and Tuva Atasever, only the second Turkish astronaut to visit space. Atasever flew with a headgear equipped with sensors to monitor brain activity and two insulin pens to test insulin administration in microgravity. Axiom Space for Microgravity Research sponsored the trip.
“Watching our pioneering spaceship Unity return from space on its final commercial flight was a breathtaking and proud moment as we celebrate the ship’s unprecedented achievements in human spaceflight and build momentum for the rollout of our first Delta Class ships in 2026,” according to Virgin Galactic’s CEO Michael Colglazier.
The aircraft took off from New Mexico around 8:31 a.m. local time and landed just over an hour later. The carrier jet dropped the space plane at an altitude of 44,500 feet. The craft reached speeds nearly three times the speed of sound, the company said.
Richard Branson founded Virgin Galactic in 2004. The company will now focus on building its first Delta-class ships, which will begin commercial operations in 2026.
