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Galactic 03 - Virgin Galactic’s third commercial spaceflight

Galactic 03 - Virgin Galactic’s third commercial spaceflight – was launched from Spaceport America, New Mexico, on 8 September 2023, at 08:34 local time. VSS...

Galactic 03

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Overview

Destination: Suborbital
Mission: Tourism

Suborbital Spaceport America Air launch to Suborbital flight

Third commercial Virgin Galactic mission.

Updates

SwGustav • Sept. 8, 2023, 4:07 p.m.

Successful completion of the flight


Cosmic_Penguin • Sept. 8, 2023, 11:21 a.m.

Updated take-off time.


Cosmic_Penguin • Sept. 6, 2023, 4:30 a.m.

GO for launch per air space closure notices.


SpaceShipTwo

Family: SpaceShipTwo
Configuration:

The Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2) is an air-launched suborbital spaceplane type designed for space tourism. It is manufactured by The Spaceship Company, a California-based company owned by Virgin Galactic.

Specifications
  • Stages
    1
  • Length
    18.0 m
  • Diameter
    8.2 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    9 T
  • Thrust
    310 kN
Family
  • Name
    SpaceShipTwo
  • Family
    SpaceShipTwo
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    SpaceShipTwo
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

VSS Unity


Active Human Rated Crew On-board: 6 Crew Capacity: 8
Destination: Suborbital
Serial Number: N202VG

VSS Unity, previously referred to as VSS Voyager, is a SpaceShipTwo-class suborbital rocket-powered crewed spaceplane. It is the second SpaceShipTwo to be built and will be used as part of the Virgin Galactic fleet.

SpaceShipTwo Details

Crew


Nicola Pecile

Commander - Italian - ( VG )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: March 11, 1973
Age: 50

Michael Masucci

Pilot - American - ( VG )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: None
Age: None

Colin Bennett

Instructor - Scottish-American - ( VG )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: None
Age: None

Adrian Reynard

Passenger - United Kingdom - ( VG )

Status: Occasional Spaceflight

Date of Birth: March 23, 1951
Age: 72

Ken Baxter

Passenger - USA - ( VO )

Status: Occasional Spaceflight

Date of Birth: May 15, 1949
Age: 74

Timothy Nash

Passenger - United Kingdom - ( VG )

Status: Occasional Spaceflight

Date of Birth: None
Age: None

Virgin Galactic

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Founder: Richard Branson Founded: 2004 Successes: 58 Failures: 5 Pending: 1

Agency Type: Private

Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflight company within the Virgin Group. It is developing commercial spacecraft and aims to provide suborbital spaceflights to space tourists. Virgin Galactic's suborbital spacecraft are air launched from beneath a carrier airplane known as White Knight Two.

INFO WIKI

Related News

The Launch Pad

Virgin Galactic's Galactic 03 Mission Complete, Mystery Crew Revealed

In a mission cloaked in secrecy akin to the classified operations of national security endeavors, Virgin Galactic successfully completed its third commercial suborbital spaceflight today (September 8, 2023).

SpaceNews

Virgin Galactic completes third commercial SpaceShipTwo flight

Virgin Galactic performed its third commercial suborbital spaceflight Sept. 8 with three private astronauts on board.

Arstechnica

Virgin Galactic’s president explains how VSS Unity is now flying frequently

"I don't think I'll run out of people who are willing to fly the spaceship any time soon."

Air launch to Suborbital flight

Spaceport America


Falcon 9
Success
14 hours, 39 minutes ago
Starlink Group 6-19
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 22 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Qased
Success
3 days, 10 hours ago
Noor-3
Launch Platform - Shahrud Missile Test Site, Islamic Republic of Iran

Third flight of the Iranian Qased small launch vehicle. Delivered two objects in a 450 km Earth Orbit, one of which is the Noor-3 military satellite.


Long March 4C
Success
3 days, 20 hours ago
Yaogan 33-04
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 33-04 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purpose.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 7 hours ago
Starlink Group 7-3
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 13 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-18
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 22 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Ceres-1
Failure
1 week, 2 days ago
Jilin-1 High Resolution 04B
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

New high resolution Earth observation satellite for the Jilin-1 commercial Earth observation satellites constellation.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 6-17
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of 22 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Failure
1 week, 4 days ago
We Will Never Desert You (Capella Acadia 2)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Payload consists of a single SAR Earth-imaging Acadia satellite, a new generation satellite designed, manufactured, and operated by Capella Space.


Long March 2D
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Yaogan 39 Group 02
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese reconnaissance satellites.


Falcon 9
Success
2 weeks ago
Starlink Group 6-16
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral, FL, USA

A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.