'Space for all': Virgin Galactic's Unity 22 complete historic trip to the edge of space

New Mexico, July 12: Turning a new page in commercial space travel history, Virgin Group owner British billionaire Richard Branson along with its other Unity 22 crew successfully soared into the wild blue yonder and safely returned on Earth on Sunday.

 

Following a 90-minute scheduling delay due to overnight thunderstorms, Branson along with three company employees, including one of Indian-origin Sirisha Bandla blasted off on Sunday a little after 10.30 a.m. ET (8 p.m. India time).

 

After going at an altitude of 50,000 feet about 15 kilometers above the surface, the aircraft VMS EVE ignited its rocket's engine Unity and send them to the edge of space, about 89 km high, for a few minutes of weightlessness. Following the few minutes of weightlessness, the passengers strapped back as Unity reoriented for re-entry.

 

 

The trip proceeded without drama, and touchdown occurred at around 11, 30 am ET, about an hour after take-off. The spacecraft landed back on Runway 3. The whole crew shared their excitement after returning to Earth, popping Champagne bottles, with Branson even lifting Bandla onto his shoulders.

 

 

 

Besides Branson, the flight included Beth Moses, Chief Astronaut Instructor, and Colin Bennett, lead Operations Engineer and Indian-origin Sirisha Bandla, vice president of government affairs at Virgin Galactic.

 

After landing the Branson said that "Welcome to the dawn of a new space age." He described his 5 minutes weightlessness experience in the space as the "experience of a lifetime." With that Branson has achieved the symbolic milestone for a venture which he started 17 years ago.

 

 

He said, “I have dreamt about this moment since I was a child, but nothing could have prepared me for the view of Earth from space. We are at the vanguard of a new space age. As Virgin’s founder, I was honored to test the incredible customer experience as part of this remarkable crew of mission specialists and now astronauts. I can’t wait to share this awe-inspiring experience with aspiring astronauts around the world.”

 

 

Branson continued, “Our mission is to make space more accessible to all. In that spirit, and with today’s successful flight of VSS Unity, I’m thrilled to announce Virgin Galactic’s new partnership with Omaze and Space for Humanity to inspire the next generation of dreamers. For so long, we have looked back in wonder at the space pioneers of yesterday. Now, I want the astronauts of tomorrow to look forward and make their dreams come true.”

 

In 2004, he founded Virgin Galactic to provide adventurous tourists with rides on rocket-powered planes to the edge of space and back. It took 17 years to fulfilled his dream.

 

 

With that, unity 22 crew member, Sirisha Bandla vice president for Virgin Galactic government affairs, has become the fourth Indian to travel to space after Rakesh Sharma, Kalpana Chawal, Indian American Sunita Williams.

 

 

Virgin Galactic aims to fly two more flights, then the start of regular commercial operations from early 2022. The ultimate goal is to conduct 400 flights per year. The company has already sold nearly 600 tickets, with each ticket costing nearly $250,000.

 

The 90-minute-long flight pushed Virgin Galactic ahead of its rival Blue Origin led by former Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk SpaceX, which has largely ferried astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) along with commercially transporting cargo to and from the flying laboratory.

 

Jeff Bezos is expected to take off in his space tourism Blue Origin rocket on July 20. Bezos will fly with his brother Mark and two others. Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket aims to launch its crew capsule just beyond the Karman Line for a few minutes of weightlessness. The Karman line, 100 km above the ground, is the boundary of space.
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