Virgin Galactic Unity 25
First Virgin Galactic spaceflight since Richard Branson's 2021 flight.
On May 25, 2023, Virgin Galactic launched Unity 25, a sub-orbital mission using the SpaceShipTwo vehicle VSS Unity. The crew was made up of six company employees. This flight marked Virgin Galactic’s first trip to space since its founder, Richard Branson, flew aboard Unity 22 in July 2021. After Branson’s flight, the fleet was grounded due to a detected error and necessary upgrades, which also delayed a planned Italian Air Force research mission, Unity 23. Following the success of Unity 25, Virgin Galactic aimed to begin commercial flights in late June 2023. The crew included two pilots and four passengers, all Virgin Galactic staff. Both pilots had previously flown SpaceShipTwo to space; one of them, CJ Sturckow, had also flown on the Space Shuttle. Among the passengers, only Beth Moses had been to space before. This was the company’s third crewed spaceflight. The mission began with the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, taking off from Spaceport America in New Mexico while carrying VSS Unity. After release, Unity ignited its rocket engine and climbed above 50 miles (80 kilometers)—the U.S. threshold for space, though below the 100-kilometer (62-mile) Kármán line used by the FAI. The spaceplane then reentered the atmosphere and landed back on the same runway.
Quick Facts
- Mission Type
- Crewed sub-orbital spaceflight
- Operator
- Virgin Galactic
- Mission Duration
- 14 minutes
- Suborbital Apogee
- 87.2 km
- Spacecraft
- VSS Unity
- Spacecraft Type
- SpaceShipTwo
- Manufacturer
- The Spaceship Company
- Crew Size
- 6
- Crew Members
- Michael Masucci / Frederick W. Sturckow / Beth Moses / Luke Mays / Jamila Gilbert / Christopher Huie
- Launch Date
- 25 May 2023 15:15:00UTC
- Launch Site
- Spaceport America Runway 34
- Landing Date
- 25 May 2023 16:37:00UTC
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Unity 25 was the first spaceflight for Virgin Galactic since Richard Branson flew to space in July 2021. The company had planned to fly a research flight for the Italian Air Force, Unity 23, later that year, but the fleet was temporarily grounded following an error during Branson's flight, along with upgrades and modifications being made to the vehicles. Virgin Galactic planned to fly its first commercial flight in late June 2023, following Unity 25's success.
Reader's Guide
Unity 25 marked Virgin Galactic's return to sub-orbital spaceflight after a nearly two-year hiatus following the Unity 22 flight. The mission used the WhiteKnightTwo mothership VMS Eve to carry VSS Unity to release altitude, after which the spaceplane ignited its rocket engine and climbed above 50 miles (80 km), crossing the U.S. definition of the start of space but remaining below the FAI-defined Kármán line at 100 km. The crew consisted entirely of Virgin Galactic employees, including two pilots who had previously flown SpaceShipTwo to space and four passengers, only one of whom—Beth Moses—had flown to space before. The flight was a precursor to Virgin Galactic's planned first commercial flight in late June 2023, and it demonstrated the company's continued progress toward regular sub-orbital space tourism.
Did You Know?
- Unity 25 was Virgin Galactic's third crewed spaceflight.
- The crew consisted of six Virgin Galactic employees, including two pilots and four passengers.
- Both pilots had flown SpaceShipTwo to space previously, and one pilot, CJ Sturckow, had also flown on the Space Shuttle.
- The spaceplane flew to over 50 miles (80 km) in altitude, above the U.S. definition of space but below the Kármán line.
More in Suborbital human spaceflights 1-24
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