https://spacewatch.global/tag/virgin-galactic/ AN INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE ON SPACE Thu, 25 Sep 2025 05:15:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://spacewatch.global/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpaceWatchGlobal-Sign-90x90.png https://spacewatch.global/tag/virgin-galactic/ 32 32 https://spacewatch.global/2025/09/purdue-university-to-conduct-microgravity-research-aboard-virgin-galactic-suborbital-mission/ Thu, 25 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=67944 Purdue University is collaborating with Virgin Galactic for a research and learning mission aboard a Virgin Galactic suborbital spaceflight with an all-Boilermaker crew. The flight, dubbed Purdue 1, will tentatively lift off in 2027. Purdue researchers and students will personally conduct and oversee experiments in microgravity. The onboard experiments will subsequently explore how fluids behave in zero gravity]]> https://spacewatch.global/2025/04/space-symposium-2025-scott-mclaughlin/ Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=64892 At the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Yvette Gonzalez had the pleasure of speaking with Scott McLaughlin, Executive Director of Spaceport America — a pioneering site]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/12/virgin-galactic-and-enac-to-conduct-spaceport-feasibility-study/ Fri, 13 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=62920 Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. and Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile (ENAC), the civil aviation authority of Italy, have signed a cooperation agreement to jointly study the feasibility of Virgin Galactic conducting spaceflight operations from Grottaglie Spaceport in the Puglia region of Southern Italy.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/11/virgin-galactic-discloses-q3-financial-results/ Thu, 07 Nov 2024 07:00:00 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=62139 Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. has disclosed its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, and provided a business update. The Company's cash position remained strong, with cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $744 million as of September 30, 2024. Likewise, it experienced a revenue drop to $0.4 million, compared to $1.7 million in the third quarter of 2023. ]]> https://spacewatch.global/2024/05/axiom-space-and-virgin-galactic-to-send-turkish-astronaut-to-space/ Wed, 15 May 2024 06:00:57 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=55197 Axiom Space has partnered with Virgin Galactic to send Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) backup and Turkish Space Agency (TUA) astronaut Tuva Atasever on a suborbital flight on June 8 to conduct microgravity research. As a result, Atasever will become the second Turkish astronaut in his nation’s history after participating in the Galactic 07 flight to expand Turkey's endeavors in space.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/07/virgin-galactic-announces-crew-for-galactic-02-mission/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 06:00:15 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=50079 Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. has announced the crew of its seventh spaceflight and second commercial spaceflight, ‘Galactic 02,’ which will fly three private passengers to space, achieving several historical milestones and furthering the Company’s mission of broadening access to space.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/06/virgin-galactic-completes-inaugural-commercial-spaceflight/ Fri, 30 Jun 2023 06:00:57 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=49705 Virgin Galactic has successfully completed its inaugural commercial spaceflight from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The Galactic 01 spaceflight carried 13 research payloads and three crew members from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy. The spaceflight took off at 8:30 am MT (14:30 GMT), rising to an altitude at release at 44,500 feet. The flight's apogee was 52.9 miles, the top speed was Mach 2.88, and the landing time was 9:42 am MT (15:42 GMT).]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/06/virgin-galactic-announces-start-of-commercial-spaceflight-service/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 06:00:56 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=49515 Virgin Galactic Holdings have announced the start of commercial spaceline operations. The first commercial spaceflight, 'Galactic 01', will tentatively fly between June 27 – June 30, 2023. The second commercial spaceflight, 'Galactic 02,' will follow in early August 2023, with monthly spaceflights expected thereafter.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/05/virgin-galactic-announces-crew-for-return-to-space-in-late-may/ Tue, 09 May 2023 06:00:47 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=48567 Virgin Galactic has announced the Virgin Galactic Unity 25 crew who will be aboard VSS Unity’s return to space later this month. Unity 25’s mission objective is to conduct the final assessment of the spaceflight system and astronaut experience before commercial service begins in late June.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2023/04/virgin-galactic-completes-glide-flight-from-spaceport-america/ Thu, 27 Apr 2023 06:00:57 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=48282 Virgin Galactic has announced a successful suborbital test of the VSS Unity spaceplane and will begin rocket-powered spaceflight tests in the coming months. The Spaceplane completed its final glide test during a flight in New Mexico. During the test, VMS Eve took off from Spaceport America with Unity between its twin fuselages at 12:35 UTC. After reaching an altitude of 47,000 feet (14.3 kilometers), Eve released Unity at 13:47 UTC, with the spaceplane subsequently gliding back to the runway in New Mexico, testing modifications to the spacecraft's flight controls and handling.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/06/epsilon3-raises-us-15-million-for-space-project-management-platform/ Wed, 22 Jun 2022 06:00:01 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=41716 Software startup Epsilon3 has raised US $15 million in a Series A funding round led by investor Lux Capital to expand its suite of space project management solutions, the company said. Epsilon3’s platform is web-based and provides spacecraft manufacturing and operations collaboration tools.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2022/01/space-cafe-radio-review-2021-ken-hodgkins/ Sat, 08 Jan 2022 16:00:17 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=38459 https://spacewatch.global/2021/11/virgin-galactic-so-far-sold-700-suborbital-flight-tickets/ Thu, 11 Nov 2021 07:00:02 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=37138 Virgin Galactic reported a strong interest in suborbital flights from customers as the company sold approximately 100 tickets for US $450,000 each after reopening ticket sales in August. This makes the total number of bookings about 700. Virgin Galactic said the new customers had previously paid a deposit of US $1,000 to be the first in line when ticket sales resumed.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/10/virgin-galactic-downgraded-to-sell/ Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:00:24 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=36572 On Monday, UBS analyst Myles Walton downgraded Virgin Galactic (ticker: SPCE) from Hold to Sell as the company is delaying commercial space flights. The news disappointed investors who had expected revenue-generating, commercial operations to start early next year. Last week Virgin said they would reorganise their development and test flight schedule.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/10/spacewatchgl-opinionspace-marketing-competing-in-the-new-commercial-space-industry/ Sun, 17 Oct 2021 08:00:13 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=36492 In the past few months, the space industry experienced some new milestones. Civilian astronauts launched into space. Richard Branson flew Virgin Galactic on July 11, 2021. Jeff Bezos flew with Blue Origin on July 20, 2019, and a second flight on October 13, 2021, with the iconic William Shatner. SpaceX’s Inspiration4 launched on Sept 15, 2021,]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/10/faa-clears-virgin-galactic-for-further-flights/ Fri, 01 Oct 2021 06:00:31 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=36190 https://spacewatch.global/2021/09/un-secretary-general-guterres-criticizes-space-tourism/ Mon, 27 Sep 2021 06:00:07 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=36079 António Guterres, the secretary-general of the United Nations, mentioned space tourism alongside corruption and loss of freedoms as cause for the ever-increasing gap between socioeconomic groups. Addressing the General Assembly, Guterres said “billionaires joyriding to space” led to the growing mistrust towards governments and the values of the UN.]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/09/faa-grounds-virgin-galactic-space-flights-due-to-july-mishap-investigation/ Fri, 03 Sep 2021 06:00:53 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=35494 https://spacewatch.global/2021/08/0-g-launchs-space-jet-offers-zero-gravity-tests-on-an-airplane/ Fri, 06 Aug 2021 06:00:49 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=34937 0-G Launch is providing “ground-breaking airborne platforms” to allow the space industry to “test and accelerate its technological developments,” said Robert Feierbach, CEO & COO of 0-G Launch. With Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic recently validating commercial space travel and with the space industry growing into a forecasted 1 trillion USD business in the next decade, cheaper platforms]]> https://spacewatch.global/2021/07/space-cafe-recap-law-breakfast-with-steven-freeland-4/ Sun, 25 Jul 2021 08:00:58 +0000 https://spacewatch.global/?p=34580 In the latest Space Café “Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland”, Steven Freeland and Torsten Kriening welcomed Elina Morozova and Andrzej Misztal at the wonderful ‘Coffee-Desk’ Café in Warsaw. Over blueberry cake, home-made cookies, croissants, and coffee, the panelists, along with a lively audience engaged in a revealing ]]>