Virgin takes first-paying customers into space | Sciences

The exact launch time is not known. According to Virgin, the livestream will go live around 5pm Belgian time. Unlike other companies, the rocket does not launch from the ground. He’s hanging under an airplane. Together they took off from the airport SpaceSport America in the state of New Mexico. When the pilots and flight control system are ready, the aircraft drops the missile at an altitude of 10 to 15 kilometers.

When the missile separates from the aircraft, its engines are fired. In two minutes he shot at an altitude of about 100 kilometers. There is the edge of the atmosphere and the universe begins. Passengers are weightless at this altitude for a few minutes. They see the curvature of the earth and the infinity of the universe. The plane is not moving high and fast enough to enter Earth orbit. After a while, gravity pulls the craft back toward Earth. Then the descent begins and the hover ends.

Three Italians on board on Thursday. One of them is Air Force Colonel Walter Vellady. Next year he will go as a guest to the International Space Station ISS. The other two are Air Force medic Angelo Landolfi and Detective Pantaleone Carlucci. During the trip they want to do medical examinations. Moreover, a companion and two pilots will accompany you on the flight.

Branson’s first test flight was in 2003 with an aircraft. In 2010, the aircraft carried a missile for the first time. It went wrong in 2014. The co-pilot of the rocket made a wrong take-off switch, after which the plane crashed. The co-pilot was killed.

Branson’s Virgin Galactic competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. They all want to sell space tourism. Musk sold a sightseeing trip to the moon to a Japanese billionaire. SpaceX and Blue Origin also participate in the US government’s space program.