This Thursday (29), Virgin Galactic will launch six people into space as part of its first commercial mission called Galactic 01, commissioned by the Italian government.
According to a company statement, the launch is scheduled for noon (Brasília time). The event will be streamed live on all platforms. digital look on the website, YouTube channel and social networks Facebook, Instagram, TwitterLinkedIn and TikTok.
With a presentation by Bruno Capozzi, our EditorinChief, and comments by Ciência e Espaço editor Lucas Soares and astronomer Marcelo Zurita, President of the Associação Paraibana de Astronomia (APA), member of the Brazilian Astronomical Society (SAB). ) and technical director of the Brazilian Meteor Observation Network (BRAMON), the live transmission starts at 11:45 a.m.
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How does Virgin Galactic get people into space?
Those watching the broadcast can watch as the aircraft carrier VMS EVE lifts off from Spaceport America (Virgin Galactic’s launch base in New Mexico, USA), transports the SpaceShipTwo spaceplane to a specified altitude, and the vehicle then releases its own engines, to move about 80 km above the Earth’s surface (a point defined by some institutions as the beginning of space).
Who are the pilots:
This time, VMS EVE will be flown by Kelly Latimer, a former NASA pilot, and Jameel Janjua, a retired Canadian Air Force major. At about 15 km altitude, the vehicle will unleash the VSS Unity (name of the SpaceShipTwo model used in this mission), which will follow from Earth.
At the controls of the spaceplane are Mike Masucci (retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and veteran Virgin Galactic pilot) and Nicola Pecile (retired Italian Air Force Lieutenant Colonel on his first mission in space).
In the top row: Mike Masucci and Nicola Pecile, who will pilot the VSS Unity spaceplane. Below: Kelly Latimer and Jameel Janjua, pilots of the aircraft carrier VMS Eve. Photo credit: Virgin Galactic
In addition to Masucci and Pecile, four people will be aboard VSS Unity on Virgin Galactic’s first commercial voyage, which will be suborbital, just like previous test flights and upcoming commercial missions already planned.
How is the flight:
This means that the spacecraft will not gain sufficient speed to reach Earth orbit. Thus, the vehicle climbs to a certain point and then returns to Earth without orbiting the planet. Nevertheless, passengers experience the feeling of weightlessness for a few moments during the estimated 90minute flight.
According to Virgin Galactic, this time will also be enough for the crew to conduct some science experiments. “With science payloads onboard, the spaceflight will demonstrate the value and capability of the unique suborbital science laboratory that Virgin Galactic offers,” the statement said.
Who is the crew:
Crew members Walter Villadei, Pantaleone Carlucci and Angelo Landolfi, three members of the Italian Air Force and the Italian National Research Council, will conduct 13 experiments during the flight. They will be joined by Colin Bennett, a Virgin Galactic staffer who will assess the companions’ flight experience in conducting investigations. A more detailed profile of each can be found here.
The crew of Galactic 01, left to right: Colonel Walter Villadei, Pantaleone Carlucci, Lieutenant Colonel Angelo Landolfi and Colin Bennet (Image credit: Virgin Galactic)
Galactic 02 Virgin Galactic’s next commercial space flight is scheduled for August. According to the company, subsequent payments will be made monthly.
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