© Reuters. Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity passenger rocket plane, carrying billionaire businessman Richard Branson and his crew, begins its ascent to the edge of space over Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, USA, July 11, 2021. REUTERS/Joe Ski
By Joey Roulette
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc has completed a lengthy upgrade period for its core tourism spacecraft, with commercial service on track to begin in the second quarter of 2023, the company announced on Tuesday.
The company, founded by billionaire Richard Branson, suspended flights of the VSS Unity spaceplane and its transport plane in 2021 to make various improvements to the spacecraft, delaying the company’s debut mission to the edge of space.
“Our near-term goal for commercial spaceline operations is to safely perform recurring flights with our current spacecraft while providing an unrivaled experience for astronauts and private investigators,” said Virgin Galactic CEO, Michael Colglazier, in a statement about the company’s fourth quarter and year-end. 2022 earnings.
This month, VSS Unity’s VMS Eve twin-fuselage carrier aircraft made its first flight since 2021. It plans the first commercial mission in the second quarter, which involves a research trip to the edge of space for the Italian Air Force.
After that mission, Virgin Galactic expects “two or three” more flights before attempting monthly commercial missions, Colglazier said during an earnings call, reaffirming a crucial goal to handle the company’s roughly 800 customers in line to fly. .