Boeing sues Virgin Galactic over mothership projectJeff FoustMarch 26, 2024WASHINGTON — Boeing and a subsidiary have filed suit against Virgin Galactic, alleging that the suborbital spaceflight company has refused to pay more than $25 million and misappropriated trade secrets associated with a project to develop a new aircraft.
Virgin Galactic countersues Boeing about mothership projectJeff FoustApril 5, 2024CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Virgin Galactic has filed a countersuit against Boeing over a project to develop a new mothership aircraft, arguing in part that Boeing performed poorly.
Virgin Galactic at the crossroads: Taking a look at the long path to profitability from here.
https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1800177307753349583QuoteVirgin Galactic at the crossroads: Taking a look at the long path to profitability from here.https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/06/virgin-galactic-has-ceased-flying-its-only-space-plane-now-what/
Less than a dozen pilots are trained to fly Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity. Go inside the Unity Flight Simulator with Jack and Das, and Virgin Galactic's Chief Pilot David Mackay, as they take a virtual trip to space!
Virgin Galactic is proud to announce a new research flight contract with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (@IIAS_NLC) to fly three astronauts aboard a future mission! Details →
NEWS • 20/06/24VIRGIN GALACTIC ANNOUNCES NEW RESEARCH FLIGHT CONTRACT WITH REPEAT CUSTOMERInternational Institute for Astronautical Sciences to Expand Research Conducted on Galactic 05 FlightSecond-Time Virgin Galactic Astronaut Kellie Gerardi to Lead IIAS Crew Aboard Next Generation Delta SpaceshipORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – (June 20, 2024) – Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (“Virgin Galactic” or the “Company”) today announced a new contract with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (“IIAS”) to fly three research astronauts as part of a future crew aboard the Company’s Delta Class spaceship.It will be the second research mission that IIAS has conducted with Virgin Galactic. It follows ‘Galactic 05’ in November 2023, which tested novel healthcare technologies and examined how fluids behaved in low gravity to help inform designs for future medical technologies and life-support systems. The mission is anticipated to take place within the first year of Delta commercial service, which remains on track to commence in 2026.“We were thrilled with the results from our fluid cell experiment on ‘Galactic 05’, which demonstrated our ability to accurately predict the behavior of fluid in a container in a weightless environment. We’ll be expanding on that research for our next mission, and I’ll be working to demonstrate our ability to control the behavior of the liquid as well,” said astronaut and IIAS Director of Human Spaceflight Operations Kellie Gerardi. “The quality and repeatability of the microgravity environment provided by Virgin Galactic’s system is truly game-changing and the potential for a ‘fly, fix, fly’ approach opens the door to many exciting possibilities for IIAS to make discoveries that benefit future explorers.”The IIAS astronaut crew expected to participate in the research mission includes:· Kellie Gerardi, a bioastronautics researcher and IIAS Director of Human Spaceflight Operations from the U.S. Gerardi previously flew as a payload specialist on the ‘Galactic 05’ research mission.· Dr. Shawna Pandya, a physician, aquanaut, bioastronautics researcher, and Director of IIAS’s Space Medicine Group, from Canada.· Dr. Norah Patten, an aeronautical engineer and bioastronautics researcher from Ireland.Full biographies are available for download here. More information on Virgin Galactic’s research capabilities here.The mission is designed to enable IIAS to introduce new research while also expanding upon the results from ‘Galactic 05’, during which astronaut Kellie Gerardi was able to successfully validate a fluid behavior theory within the high-quality microgravity conditions available through Virgin Galactic’s unique flight system. The IIAS crew plans to fly additional fluid cells, with payload enhancements including upgrades to camera quality and accelerometer measurements.“We’re excited to continue our partnership with IIAS in an expanded capacity,” said Virgin Galactic Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations, Sirisha Bandla. “Our suborbital science lab is revolutionizing the field of microgravity research by offering routine, reliable access to space – and it’s great to see institutions like IIAS begin to build iterative and innovative campaigns around suborbital space-based research.”Virgin Galactic’s Delta Class spaceships can be configured to fly either six mission specialists, or four specialists and two additional payload racks, depending on customer needs. More information will be shared regarding further mission specialists and payloads joining the IIAS crew on this spaceflight as the manifest expands.Each Delta spaceship is currently estimated to be capable of flying up to eight space missions per month, which is twelve times the monthly capacity of the Company’s original spaceship, VSS Unity. The new spaceship fleet is anticipated to dramatically increase repeatable and reliable access to the microgravity environment.Full biographies are available for download here.
Amazing this was 15 years ago, chasing WhiteKnightTwo flight #3. First gear retraction was scary fast and they subsequently installed a hydraulic orifice to slow them down. The wing looks strangely naked with the centerline launch pylon not yet installed. Watching its aborted landing an hour later was the most scared I think I’ve ever been (and I’ve seen planes crash).
https://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1842196161177833911QuoteNew Shepard #NS27 is an uncrewed verification flight debuting our second human-rated vehicle to meet growing customer demand. The launch window opens on Monday, October 7, at 8:00 AM CDT / 13:00 UTC:https://www.blueorigin.com/news/blue-origin-debuts-second-human-rated-new-shepard-rocketQuoteNEWS | OCT 4, 2024Blue Origin Debuts Second Human-Rated New Shepard Rocket To Meet DemandBlue Origin’s next New Shepard flight, NS-27, will debut our second human-rated vehicle, enabling expanded flight capacity to better meet growing customer demand. The launch window for the uncrewed verification flight opens on Monday, October 7, at 8:00 AM CDT / 1300 UTC. The webcast will begin 15 minutes before liftoff on BlueOrigin.com. The new crew capsule is named RSS Kármán line. The vehicle features technology upgrades to improve the vehicle’s performance and reusability, an updated livery, and accommodations for payloads on the booster. New Shepard remains one of the most sustainable rockets ever to fly to space. Nearly 99% of New Shepard’s dry mass is reused, including the booster, capsule, engine, landing gear, and parachutes. NS-27 will fly 12 payloads—five on the booster and seven inside the crew capsule. Payloads include new navigation systems developed for New Shepard and New Glenn; two different LIDAR sensors for the Lunar Permanence program; ultra-wideband proximity operations sensors flying as part of a NASA TechFlights grant with Blue Origin’s Space Systems Development group; and a commercial payload that is a reproduction of black monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The monoliths are flying on behalf of Spacemanic for a special edition printed by Croatian publisher Amaranthine Books. The mission will also carry tens of thousands of student-designed postcards on behalf of Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s STEAM-focused nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The organization has engaged more than 43 million students globally since its founding in 2019. Students can submit digital postcards here. Follow Blue Origin on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and YouTube, and sign up on BlueOrigin.com to stay current on all mission details.
New Shepard #NS27 is an uncrewed verification flight debuting our second human-rated vehicle to meet growing customer demand. The launch window opens on Monday, October 7, at 8:00 AM CDT / 13:00 UTC:
NEWS | OCT 4, 2024Blue Origin Debuts Second Human-Rated New Shepard Rocket To Meet DemandBlue Origin’s next New Shepard flight, NS-27, will debut our second human-rated vehicle, enabling expanded flight capacity to better meet growing customer demand. The launch window for the uncrewed verification flight opens on Monday, October 7, at 8:00 AM CDT / 1300 UTC. The webcast will begin 15 minutes before liftoff on BlueOrigin.com. The new crew capsule is named RSS Kármán line. The vehicle features technology upgrades to improve the vehicle’s performance and reusability, an updated livery, and accommodations for payloads on the booster. New Shepard remains one of the most sustainable rockets ever to fly to space. Nearly 99% of New Shepard’s dry mass is reused, including the booster, capsule, engine, landing gear, and parachutes. NS-27 will fly 12 payloads—five on the booster and seven inside the crew capsule. Payloads include new navigation systems developed for New Shepard and New Glenn; two different LIDAR sensors for the Lunar Permanence program; ultra-wideband proximity operations sensors flying as part of a NASA TechFlights grant with Blue Origin’s Space Systems Development group; and a commercial payload that is a reproduction of black monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The monoliths are flying on behalf of Spacemanic for a special edition printed by Croatian publisher Amaranthine Books. The mission will also carry tens of thousands of student-designed postcards on behalf of Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s STEAM-focused nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The organization has engaged more than 43 million students globally since its founding in 2019. Students can submit digital postcards here. Follow Blue Origin on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and YouTube, and sign up on BlueOrigin.com to stay current on all mission details.
Some trolling from Blue Origin with their new vehicle name:Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 10/04/2024 01:38 pmhttps://twitter.com/blueorigin/status/1842196161177833911QuoteNew Shepard #NS27 is an uncrewed verification flight debuting our second human-rated vehicle to meet growing customer demand. The launch window opens on Monday, October 7, at 8:00 AM CDT / 13:00 UTC:https://www.blueorigin.com/news/blue-origin-debuts-second-human-rated-new-shepard-rocketQuoteNEWS | OCT 4, 2024Blue Origin Debuts Second Human-Rated New Shepard Rocket To Meet DemandBlue Origin’s next New Shepard flight, NS-27, will debut our second human-rated vehicle, enabling expanded flight capacity to better meet growing customer demand. The launch window for the uncrewed verification flight opens on Monday, October 7, at 8:00 AM CDT / 1300 UTC. The webcast will begin 15 minutes before liftoff on BlueOrigin.com. The new crew capsule is named RSS Kármán line. The vehicle features technology upgrades to improve the vehicle’s performance and reusability, an updated livery, and accommodations for payloads on the booster. New Shepard remains one of the most sustainable rockets ever to fly to space. Nearly 99% of New Shepard’s dry mass is reused, including the booster, capsule, engine, landing gear, and parachutes. NS-27 will fly 12 payloads—five on the booster and seven inside the crew capsule. Payloads include new navigation systems developed for New Shepard and New Glenn; two different LIDAR sensors for the Lunar Permanence program; ultra-wideband proximity operations sensors flying as part of a NASA TechFlights grant with Blue Origin’s Space Systems Development group; and a commercial payload that is a reproduction of black monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The monoliths are flying on behalf of Spacemanic for a special edition printed by Croatian publisher Amaranthine Books. The mission will also carry tens of thousands of student-designed postcards on behalf of Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s STEAM-focused nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and mobilize future generations to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The organization has engaged more than 43 million students globally since its founding in 2019. Students can submit digital postcards here. Follow Blue Origin on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and YouTube, and sign up on BlueOrigin.com to stay current on all mission details.
Congrats to Virgin Galactic pilot Mike "Sooch" Masucci who was awarded the prestigious J.H. Doolittle award from the The Society of Experimental Test Pilots (@SETP_ORG). The James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle Award is presented for outstanding accomplishment in technical management or engineering achievement in aerospace technology. Well-deserved for all Mike’s accomplishments in aerospace and beyond.
Virgin Galactic is partnering with Italy's civil aviation authority, @EnacGov, to study potential spaceflight operations in southern Italy. This is the first step toward establishing our first international spaceport. Details →
NEWS • 12/12/24VIRGIN GALACTIC PARTNERS WITH ITALY’S ENTE NAZIONALE PER L'AVIAZIONE CIVILE TO CONDUCT SPACEPORT FEASIBILITY STUDYStudy to Evaluate Technical and Regulatory Feasibility of Operating from Italy’s Grottaglie SpaceportconWASHINGTON, DC. – [December 12, 2024] – Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (the “Company” or “Virgin Galactic”) and Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile (“ENAC”), the civil aviation authority of Italy, today announced the signing of an Agreement of Cooperation to jointly study the feasibility of Virgin Galactic conducting spaceflight operations from Grottaglie Spaceport in the Puglia region of Southern Italy.The study will evaluate the necessary technical requirements for suborbital spaceflight operations at Grottaglie Spaceport, the surrounding area’s ability to support private and research suborbital spaceflight customers, and the compatibility of Italy’s suborbital regulations with those in the United States, where Virgin Galactic is headquartered.Phase one of the study, anticipated to be completed in 2025, will examine Grottaglie’s airspace compatibility with Virgin Galactic’s requirements and unique flight profile. This will include examining any regulatory requirements, studying the facilities infrastructure and ensuring supply chain capability to support repeated spaceflights. Presuming these criteria are satisfied, phase two of the examination would expand to consider regional workforce requirements as well as the potential economic stimulation to Italy and Puglia generated by multiple spaceflights per week.The announcement comes 18 months after members of the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy conducted research aboard Virgin Galactic’s June 2023 ‘Galactic 01’ mission from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The flight marked the Company’s inaugural commercial spaceflight.“Development of world-class spaceports in premier locations is essential to our goal of expanding human-first space travel around the world, and we are honored to partner with the Italian government as we look to bring Virgin Galactic’s spaceline operations to Italy and the European continent,” said Michael Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic. “This study lays the groundwork to activate the economic and community benefits of commercial space across the region, and we are thrilled at the prospect of Virgin Galactic customers looking out our spaceship windows to witness the boot of Italy from space.”"Today, our partnership takes a significant step forward. Together, we will conduct a feasibility study to determine the conditions for suborbital operations from the Grottaglie Spaceport under ENAC’s regulations inspired by the U.S. model,” said Mr. Fabio Nicolai, Deputy Director General, ENAC. “This work will lay the foundation for safe and sustainable commercial operations in Italy."Grottaglie Airport is managed by Aeroporti di Puglia and was designated a commercial spaceport by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in 2018, making it the first horizontal spaceport in Italy and first in the European Union. Grottaglie Spaceport is primarily intended to provide a base for suborbital spaceflights, including both private and research, acting as a center of excellence for commercial suborbital transportation and space exploration in the Mediterranean basin. The Puglia region and Italian government recently allocated funding of 70 million Euros for airport infrastructure necessary for the full operation of Grottaglie Spaceport.“We are excited to work with Virgin Galactic and demonstrate how Grottaglie Spaceport can provide infrastructure, high level skills and specialized services necessary for suborbital flights” said Antonio Maria Vasile, President of Aeroporti diPuglia, which manages the site. “Grottaglie Spaceport has become a European hub for the development of new aerospace technologies and a catalyst for pioneering projects in the new space economy”Added Mr. Vito Bavaro of the Economic Development Department of Puglia Region, “Extending commercial space travel to our region aligns closely with the investments we are already making in research and innovation, development of advanced skills, and policies to strengthen the regional aerospace ecosystem. We believe Virgin Galactic is an ideal partner in our mission to provide a regional base for suborbital flights in the Mediterranean basin.”
In recent months, our team has demonstrated strong progress advancing the build of our new SpaceShips. Mike Moses, President of Virgin Galactic’s Spaceline, recaps our most recent milestones in this installment of Galactic 10.
• Future Astronaut Sales Expected to Open in Q1 of 2026 • Progress on SpaceShips Continues Across Rocket Systems, Avionics, Flight Controls, Mechanical Systems and Structures • Commercial Spaceflight Remains Planned for Summer 2026 with First Research Space Mission[...]Business Updates • First spaceflight with new SpaceShip carrying research payloads planned for summer 2026. • Private astronaut spaceflights planned for fall 2026. • Midway through feasibility study to potentially develop second spaceport in Italy.
