Virgin Galactic has announced the completion of its first human spaceflight.
What
Known
May 22 from Spaceport America in New MexicoThe VMS Eve carrier aircraft with the VSS Unity spacecraft took off into the sky. There were two astronauts on board: Dave McKay and C.J. Sturk. After reaching the 13 km mark, the shuttle separated from the plane and took off independently at a speed of Mach 3 (about 3675 km/h) to an altitude of 89 km, and then successfully returned to Earth.
Of course, technically, VSS Unity never made itto space. According to the definition of the International Aeronautical Federation, the boundary with space is at an altitude of 100 kilometers above sea level. NASA, in turn, considers the height of 122 km to be the limit of space.
If you, suddenly, did not know
Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflighta company that competes with SpaceX. It is part of the international conglomerate Virgin Group, created by British businessman Richard Branson. Virgin Galactic plans to use its ships to develop space tourism. The company is already selling tickets to space for $250,000. If everything goes according to plan, the first commercial flight will take place in 2022.
Source: Virgin Galactic
</ p>