On Thursday, August 10, 2023, Virgin Galactic made history by launching the first ever space tourism flight. Their spacecraft, VSS Unity, took off from Spaceport America in New Mexico, carrying four paying customers on an unforgettable journey to the edge of space.
The four space tourists on board were Sirisha Bandla, Evan Dick, Hamish Harding, and J.M. Sharma. Together, they experienced several minutes of weightlessness and got to see the curvature of the Earth as they reached an altitude of 55.5 miles, surpassing the boundary of space.
This groundbreaking flight marks a major milestone for Virgin Galactic, which has been developing its space tourism business for over a decade. It is the first time a private company has successfully sent paying customers to space, paving the way for space travel to become more accessible.
Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson said, “We are at the vanguard of a new industry determined to pioneer twenty-first century spacecraft, which will open space to everybody — and change the world for good.”
The four space travelers on Thursday’s flight were all thrilled with the experience. Bandla described it as “unbelievable,” while Harding said it was “life-changing.” All expressed eagerness to share their experience with others to inspire people to dream big.
With over 600 tickets already sold for future spaceflights, it’s clear that many others share this dream. Virgin Galactic plans to begin commercial operations soon, offering more people the chance to see Earth from space with their own eyes.
Thursday’s successful flight proves that the era of space tourism is here. While currently limited to the wealthy, companies like Virgin Galactic hope to expand access in the future and make the wonders of space available to people from all walks of life.
This milestone has been many years in the making for Virgin Galactic. Founded by Sir Richard Branson in 2004, the company has faced numerous setbacks and tragedies along the road to realizing commercial space tourism. A fatal crash during a test flight in 2014 dealt a major blow to the program. However, Virgin Galactic pressed on, continuing to improve its spacecraft design and safety measures.
Years of extensive testing and more than a dozen test flights preceded Thursday’s historic launch. In 2021, Sir Richard Branson himself took a test flight to the edge of space, demonstrating his faith in the safety of the spacecraft. With each successful mission, Virgin Galactic moved closer to its goal.
The experienced pilots who flew VSS Unity on Thursday’s flight praised the spacecraft’s performance. Pilot Dave Mackay said, “She flew like a dream today.” Virgin Galactic still has testing ahead, but it hopes to begin flying customers from its growing backlog soon.
As more people travel to space, Virgin Galactic envisions a future where space travel is safe, affordable and accessible to all. While currently limited to the super rich, prices may eventually drop enough to allow people from all walks of life to experience the wonders of space.
For now, we celebrate this exciting step in opening the cosmos to all. Thursday’s flawless flight has brought us one step closer to the day when we can all reach for the stars.
