Space tourism
Virgin Galactic has finally completed its first commercial space flight
After more than a decade of preparation, Virgin Galactic has completed its first commercial space flight. This was reported by Engadget. After launching from the VMS Eve mothership, the VSS Unity spacecraft reached an altitude of about 52 miles, or the limit of space by American standards. Almost 15 minutes ... Read more
Back in space: NASA invites retired astronauts to lead private flights to the ISS
There are no former astronauts. NASA may soon require retired astronauts to pilot private missions to the ISS. They will be able to provide “expert guidance for private astronauts during preflight training and mission execution,” says the agency’s message. NASA believes that this will help reduce the load on the ... Read more
Virgin Galactic plans to make 400 flights a year and is buying two motherships
Virgin Galactic has announced an agreement with Boeing-owned Aurora Flight Sciences to develop and manufacture two next-generation motherships. The motherships are supposed to take the Virgin Galactic spacecraft to an altitude of 15 km, where they will turn on the rocket engines and take off above 90 km. Richard Branson’s ... Read more