Galactic 05
Fifth commercial spaceflight for Virgin Galactic, launched November 2023.
NASA/CXC/UCLA/M.Muno et al. · Public domain
Galactic 05, a crewed sub-orbital flight using the SpaceShipTwo-class vehicle VSS Unity, took off on 2 November 2023. This mission marked the fifth time Virgin Galactic flew paying customers and the tenth time the American aerospace company launched a spaceflight overall. On board were three private passengers and three Virgin Galactic employees, several of whom carried out scientific work in microgravity.
Alan Stern, a private passenger funded by the Southwest Research Institute, studied how the human body reacts to weightlessness by wearing a biomedical monitoring harness. He also aimed to test a specialized high-tech camera in space, a device NASA plans to use on a future astronomical research mission. Payload specialist Gerardi, whose flight was paid for by the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS), conducted three experiments on behalf of that institute. She operated a fluid cell to improve predictions of fluid behavior in microgravity, wore the Astroskin biomonitoring device to gather biometric data, and used a Continuous Glucose Monitor to measure insulin resistance during spaceflight. The research for the glucose experiment was developed by the National Research Council of Canada.
Quick Facts
- Mission Type
- Crewed sub-orbital spaceflight
- Operator
- Virgin Galactic
- Mission Duration
- 14 min and 20 second
- Suborbital Apogee
- 87.2 km
- Spacecraft
- VSS Unity
- Spacecraft Type
- SpaceShipTwo
- Manufacturer
- The Spaceship Company
- Crew Size
- 6
- Crew Members
- Michael Masucci / Kelly Latimer / Colin Bennett / Alan Stern / Kellie Gerardi / Ketty Maisonrouge
- Launch Date
- 2 November 2023, 15:00UTC
- Launch Site
- Spaceport America Runway 34
- Deployment From
- VMS Eve
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Galactic 05's crew included three private passengers and three Virgin Galactic employees. Among the private passengers was Alan Stern, who performed studies of the human body's reaction to zero-gravity by wearing a biomedical monitoring harness. He also sought to develop in-space operation of a particular high-tech camera planned for use on a future NASA astronomical research mission. His flight and research were financed by Southwest Research Institute.
Reader's Guide
Galactic 05 represented a step in commercial sub-orbital research, carrying both private and institutional experiments. The mission highlighted the growing role of private spaceflight in enabling scientific work, with passengers like Alan Stern conducting biomedical and camera operations research funded by Southwest Research Institute. Payload specialist Gerardi, flying on behalf of IIAS, operated three experiments including a fluid cell study, biometric monitoring via Astroskin, and an insulin-resistance study using a Continuous Glucose Monitor. Her flight was paid for by IIAS and the research was developed by the National Research Council of Canada. The flight demonstrated how commercial spaceflight can support diverse scientific objectives, from human physiology to fluid dynamics, while also serving as a testbed for future NASA instruments.
Did You Know?
- Alan Stern wore a biomedical monitoring harness to study the human body's reaction to zero-gravity.
- Gerardi operated a fluid cell experiment to help predict and control fluid shape and location in microgravity.
- Gerardi wore a Continuous Glucose Monitor to study insulin-resistance during spaceflight.
- The research for Gerardi's experiments was developed by the National Research Council of Canada.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Galactic 05?
Galactic 05 is a crewed sub-orbital spaceflight operated by Virgin Galactic aboard the VSS Unity, a SpaceShipTwo-class vehicle. It launched on 2 November 2023 and carried six people into space.
When did the Galactic 05 mission take place?
The mission lifted off on 2 November 2023. It served as Virgin Galactic's fifth flight carrying paying customers and their tenth spaceflight of any kind.
Who flew on Galactic 05?
The six-person crew consisted of three private passengers and three Virgin Galactic staff members. Among the passengers was planetary scientist Alan Stern, whose seat was sponsored by the Southwest Research Institute.
What research was performed during Galactic 05?
Several crew members conducted microgravity experiments during the flight. Stern, in particular, wore a biomedical monitoring harness to track how the human body responds to weightlessness.
Why is Galactic 05 notable in Virgin Galactic's history?
It represented a milestone as the company's fifth revenue-generating passenger flight and its tenth launch overall. The mission also demonstrated that commercial spaceflights could double as platforms for legitimate scientific investigation.
More in Suborbital human spaceflights 1-24
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