FILE - Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson answers students' questions during a news conference at Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, N.M., on July 11, 2021. Virgin Galactic completed what's expected to be its final test flight Thursday, May 25, 2023, before taking paying customers on brief trips to space. The company is planning its first commercial flight, a science mission with the Italian Air Force, in late June.
This photo released by Virgin Galactic shows a view of Earth from Virgin Galactic's rocket plane as it reaches an altitude of more than 54 miles during a test flight on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Virgin Galactic completed what's expected to be its final test flight Thursday before taking paying customers on brief trips to space.
Uncredited - handout one time use, Virgin Galactic
This photo released by Virgin Galactic shows mission specialist Christopher Huie, left, instructor Luke Mays, center, and mission specialist Jamila Gilbert during a test flight on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Virgin Galactic completed what's expected to be its final test flight Thursday before taking paying customers on brief trips to space.
Uncredited - handout one time use, Virgin Galactic
FILE - Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson answers students' questions during a news conference at Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, N.M., on July 11, 2021. Virgin Galactic completed what's expected to be its final test flight Thursday, May 25, 2023, before taking paying customers on brief trips to space. The company is planning its first commercial flight, a science mission with the Italian Air Force, in late June.
Susan Montoya Bryan - staff, AP
Virgin Galactic
Mission specialist Jamila Gilbert, center, looks out one of the portal windows as she experiences weightlessness during a test flight on Thursday.
Uncredited - handout one time use, Virgin Galactic
This photo released by Virgin Galactic shows a view of Earth from Virgin Galactic's rocket plane as it reaches an altitude of more than 54 miles during a test flight on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Virgin Galactic completed what's expected to be its final test flight Thursday before taking paying customers on brief trips to space.
Uncredited - handout one time use, Virgin Galactic
This photo released by Virgin Galactic shows mission specialist Christopher Huie, left, instructor Luke Mays, center, and mission specialist Jamila Gilbert during a test flight on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Virgin Galactic completed what's expected to be its final test flight Thursday before taking paying customers on brief trips to space.
Uncredited - handout one time use, Virgin Galactic
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M — Virgin Galactic completed what is expected to be its final test flight Thursday before taking paying customers on brief trips to space, marking what the space tourism company described as a “fantastic achievement” in what has been a long road to commercial operations.
Six of the company’s employees, including two pilots, landed at Spaceport America in southern New Mexico after the short up-and-down flight that included a few minutes of weightlessness. It took about an hour for the mother ship to carry the spaceplane to an altitude of 44,500 feet, where it was released and fired its rocket motor to make the final push.
kAm“xE H2D ;FDE E9:D >28?6E:4 AF==[” D96 D2:5 :? 2? :?E6CG:6H] “~?46 x DE2CE65 =@@<:?8 @FE[ x 4@F=5 766= E92E x H2D 7=@2E:?8] x 4@F=5 962C G@:46D] qFE x 4@F=5?’E DE@A =@@<:?8 2E E96 A=2?6E[ 2?5 x 4@F=5?’E =@@< 2H2J]”k^Am
kAmk6>m— %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DDk^6>mk^Am
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
