10 August 2023 , 10:17
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In a few short hours, the first space tourist flight from Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic will launch, taking three members of the public into orbit.
The launch, dubbed Galactic 02, will take the crew of six into space aboard the VSS Unity spaceplane when it blasts off from New Mexico on Thursday.
Along with the three operators, there will be an 80-year-old with Parkinson’s and a mum and daughter pair.
When Branson's firm first put tickets on sale over a decade ago, hundreds were sold, some for as much as $450,000. Today's flight will mark the first step towards realising those dreams.
The short up-and-down flight will be streamed live on Virgin Galactic’s website. It is the company's first to carry someone who has actually paid for their ticket.
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The flight will mark Virgin Galactic’s third this year. In June a research flight was carried out during which two Italian Air Force officers and an engineer with the National Research Council of Italy conducted a series of microgravity experiments during their moments of weightlessness.
Virgin founder Richard Branson has dreamt about sending people to space for decades (Bloomberg via Getty Images)When will the flight blast off?
Although the expected time of blast off has not been announced, it is expected to be Thursday morning.
The livestream for the launch will begin at 9am local time (4pm BST).
It will take off from Spaceport America, around 45 miles north of Las Cruces in New Mexico, US. Thousands are expected to tune in to watch the launch along with the hundreds who travel to see it in person.
Inside Virgin Galactic’s space plane (Virgin Galactic)How can I watch it and how long will it last?
Virgin Galactic will be livestreaming the launch on the company's website and YouTube channel.
The stream can be bookmarked on YouTube so followers are notified with any updates.
The total flight time will be around 90 minutes.
Who is on board?
There will be six people on board, it has been revealed. Three Virgin Galactic employees and three tourists.
The employees are Commander Frederick Sturckow, Pilot Kelly Latimer, and Astronaut instructor Beth Moses.
Eighteen-year-old Aberdeen University student Anastatia Mayers and her mum Keisha Schahaff will blast off with them after winning a place on the Virgin Galactic’s second commercial flight
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The three tourists expected to fly (Virgin Galactic)They will also be the first people from the Caribbean to make the journey. Keisha, 46, was traveling to the UK to sort out her daughter’s visa when she entered the competition. She was on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Antigua to London when suddenly an advert popped up.
“I filled out this sweepstake and then suddenly months later I’m getting correspondences saying that you’re a top 20 finalist, then a top five finalist, to becoming a winner,” she said.
Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity comes in for a landing after a suborbital test flight (AFP via Getty Images)Alongside the lucky two is an 80-year-old with Parkinson’s disease. Former Olympian Jon Goodwin bought his ticket in 2005 and has since developed the brain condition. Mr Goodwin told BBC Breakfast: “I am extremely excited, of course. I leave next week from New Mexico. 10th of August it is.”
Although not going on Thursday's flight, famous stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Russell Brand, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Ashton Kutcher, have bought tickets.
When is the next flight?
Virgin Galactic have said they want to operate monthly flights to make sure those who have paid for tickets get their reward.
Much hinges on the success of Thursday's mission. Any hiccups and future flights could be delayed. The firm has yet to confirm the dates of future missions but could be as soon as September.