Virgin Galactic Completes 12th Successful Spaceflight
09 June 2024 - 2:02AM
Business Wire
‘Galactic 07’ Carries Five Research Payloads
During Company’s Seventh Research Mission
After Today’s Final Commercial Flight of VSS
Unity, Momentum Builds for Production of Delta Class Spaceships
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (“Virgin Galactic”
or the “Company”) today announced the completion of its second
spaceflight of 2024 and 12th mission to date, carrying one
researcher and three private astronauts. Today’s ‘Galactic 07’
flight marks the Company’s seventh research mission with Virgin
Galactic’s spaceship again serving as a suborbital lab for
space-based scientific research.
Onboard ‘Galactic 07’:
- Astronaut 027 – Tuva Cihangir Atasever, Turkish Space Agency
(TUA) astronaut and Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) Backup Mission
Specialist
- Astronaut 028 – Anand “Andy” Harish Sadhwani, California,
USA
- Astronaut 029 – Irving Izchak Pergament, New York, USA
- Astronaut 030 – Giorgio Manenti, Italy
‘Galactic 07’ Flight Facts
- Take-off Time: 8:31 am MT
- Altitude at Release: 44,562 ft
- Apogee: 54.4 miles
- Top Speed: Mach 2.96
- Landing Time: 9:41 am MT
“Watching our pioneering spaceship Unity return from space on
its final commercial flight was a breathtaking and proud moment as
we celebrate the ship’s unprecedented achievements in human
spaceflight and build momentum for the rollout of our first Delta
Class ships in 2026,” said Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin
Galactic.
On today’s flight, Atasever flew with three human-tended
experiments, including custom headgear with brain activity
monitoring sensors to collect physiological data related to human
spaceflight; a dosimeter; and two commercially available insulin
pens to examine the ability to administer accurate insulin doses in
microgravity. He also participated in four investigations carried
out by Turkish researchers on the ground to understand
physiological changes during suborbital spaceflight.
“I am beyond grateful to have represented my country on
‘Galactic 07’ and conduct groundbreaking research that will impact
future space missions,” said Atasever. “The successful completion
of Ax-3 and now ‘Galactic 07’ is just the beginning of Türkiye’s
space endeavors. May our people at home continue to be inspired and
dream beyond the stars.”
‘Galactic 07’ also flew two autonomous rack-mounted payloads
supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program: a Purdue
University experiment to study propellant slosh for spacecraft
propulsion applications and a University of California, Berkeley
experiment to test new 3D printing technology while in
microgravity.
The flight was Virgin Galactic’s seventh spaceflight carrying
microgravity and space-based research, following last year’s
research missions, ‘Galactic 05’ with U.S. Planetary Scientist Dr.
Alan Stern and U.S. Payload Specialist and Bioastronautics
Researcher Kellie Gerardi, and ‘Galactic 01’ with the Italian Air
Force and National Research Council. VSS Unity was piloted by
Commander Nicola Pecile and Pilot Jameel Janjua. VMS Eve was
piloted by Commander Andy Edgell and Pilot C.J. Sturckow.
Read the Virgin Galactic research overview here, and learn more
about the ‘Galactic 07’ payloads here.
Building on VSS Unity’s unrivaled record in commercial human
spaceflight (32 total flights, including 12 to space), the company
is now producing its fourth-generation and most advanced
spaceships, the Delta Class, expected to enter commercial service
in 2026.
Press materials may be accessed via the Virgin Galactic Newsroom
at https://press.virgingalactic.com, including:
- Full catalog of hi-res imagery and b-roll from all flights
- Photos and video from ‘Galactic 07’ mission
- Pilot bios
- Astronaut bios available here:
https://www.virgingalactic.com/virgin-galactic-astronauts
About Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and space travel company,
pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and
researchers with its advanced air and space vehicles. Scale and
profitability are driven by next-generation vehicles capable of
bringing humans to space at an unprecedented frequency with an
industry-leading cost structure. You can find more information at
https://www.virgingalactic.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by
the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained
in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in
this press release other than statements of historical fact,
including, without limitation, statements regarding our spaceflight
systems, the development of our Delta class spaceships and proposed
timeline for commercial service using such spaceships, are
forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,”
“estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,”
“expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “project,”
“plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are intended to identify
forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking
statements use these words or expressions. These statements are
neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including
but not limited to any delay in future commercial flights of our
spaceflight fleet, our ability to successfully develop and test our
Delta fleet and the time and costs associated with doing so, the
safety of our spaceflight systems, our expected capital
requirements and the availability of additional financing, and the
other factors, risks and uncertainties included in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as
such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), accessible
on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations
section of our website at www.virgingalactic.com, which could cause
our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the
forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such
forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as of
the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim
any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views
to change.
Source: Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240608342150/en/
For media inquiries: Aleanna Crane – Vice President,
Communications news@virgingalactic.com 575.800.4422
Jeff Michael – Communications news@virgingalactic.com
661.754.4300
For investor inquiries: Eric Cerny – Vice President, Investor
Relations vg-ir@virgingalactic.com 949.774.7637
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