Virgin Galactic Unity 25

Virgin Galactic Unity 25

VSS Unity in February 2016
Mission type	Crewed sub-orbital spaceflight
Operator	Virgin Galactic
Apogee	87.2 km (54.2 mi)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	VSS Unity
Spacecraft type	SpaceShipTwo
Manufacturer	The Spaceship Company
Crew
Crew size	6
Members	Michael Masucci Frederick W. Sturckow Beth Moses Luke Mays Jamila Gilbert Christopher Huie
Start of mission
Launch date	25 May 2023 15:15:00 UTC
Launch site	Spaceport America Runway 34
End of mission
Landing date	25 May 2023 16:37:00 UTC
Landing site	Spaceport America Runway 34
Virgin Galactic Unity 25 mission patch VSS Unity spaceflights ←  Unity 22 Galactic 01  →

Virgin Galactic Unity 25 was a sub-orbital spaceflight by Virgin Galactic that took place on 25 May 2023. The flight used their SpaceShipTwo spaceplane VSS Unity. The crew consisted of six Virgin Galactic employees. Unity 25 was the first spaceflight for the company since Unity 22 in 2021, when founder Richard Branson flew to space. ^[1]

Background

Unity 25 was the first spaceflight for Virgin Galactic since Richard Branson flew to space in July 2021. The company had planned to fly a research flight for the Italian Air Force, Unity 23, later that year, but the fleet was temporarily grounded following an error during Branson's flight, along with upgrades and modifications being made to the vehicles. Virgin Galactic plans to fly its first commercial flight in late June 2023, following Unity 25's success. ^[2]

Crew

The crew of Unity 25 included two pilots and four passengers, all being employees at Virgin Galactic. Both pilots have flown SpaceShipTwo to space previously, and CJ Sturckow has flown to space on the Space Shuttle. Of the four passengers, only Beth Moses had flown to space before. ^[3]

Position	Crew
Commander	Michael Masucci Third spaceflight
Pilot	Frederick W. "CJ" Sturckow Seventh spaceflight
Astronaut Instructor	Beth Moses Third spaceflight
Passenger	Luke Mays Only spaceflight
Passenger	Jamila Gilbert Only spaceflight
Passenger	Christopher Huie Only spaceflight

Flight

The mission was Virgin Galactic's fifth spaceflight. VMS Eve, a WhiteKnightTwo mothership, took off from Spaceport America in New Mexico, and carried VSS Unity in a parasite configuration before releasing it. From there, the spaceplane ignited its rocket engine and flew to over 50 mi (80 km) in altitude, above the U.S. definition for the start of space, but below the FAI-defined Kármán line at 100 km (62 mi). It then reentered the atmosphere and landed on the same runway it took off from. ^[4]

References

1. Davenport, Justin (25 May 2023). "VSS Unity conducts first powered flight since Branson's trip in 2021". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
2. Sheetz, Michael (17 May 2023). "Virgin Galactic targets May 25 for first spaceflight since Richard Branson's trip". CNBC. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
3. "Virgin Galactic announces crew for return to space | Virgin". Virgin.com. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
4. "Virgin's Unity plane rockets skyward". BBC News. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2023.