Virgin Galactic Gears Up To Launch Mission To Suborbital Space

Virgin Galactic, the suborbital space tourism company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, is gearing up for its first flight to the edge of space in nearly two years, Jackie Wattles reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: If all goes well, Virgin Galactic expects to begin commercial services out of its spaceport in New Mexico in late June.

The flight, slated for late May, will carry two pilots and a crew of four Virgin Galactic employees, the company announced Monday.

The company expects it will be the final test run before Virgin Galactic can open up rides for paying customers after years of promises, missed deadlines, and Branson selling off a huge chunk of his original stake in the company.

If all goes well, Virgin Galactic expects to begin commercial services out of its spaceport in New Mexico in late June.

Virgin Galactic had appeared poised to begin commercial operations after it launched Branson to the edge of space alongside three crewmates in July 2021, a flight that came less than two weeks before Branson’s rival Jeff Bezos conducted his own flight to the edge of space.

Branson denied he had been racing with Bezos. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which licenses commercial rocket launches, opened an investigation into Branson’s flight when it was confirmed the space plane veered off course during the flight.

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