Sir Richard Branson has joined Virgin Galactic Inc (NYSE: SPCE) for a summer trip to space after the company acquired FAA approval to transport passengers to space.
What happened was this: Following the success of the VSS Unity flight in May, Virgin Galactic achieved key test flight objectives, paving the way for future passenger journeys to space.
After the market closed on Thursday, the firm said that the next rocket-powered test flight of its SpaceShipTwo Unity would take place on July 11, pending weather and technical tests.
The Unity 22 mission will be Virgin’s fourth crewed spaceflight and the 22nd flight test for VSS Unity. It will also be the first to have a full crew in the cabin, consisting of two pilots and four mission specialists, including Branson, who will be testing the private astronaut experience.
Also see: Who Will Reach Space First: Jeff Bezos or Richard Branson?
The Reason for Its Importance: In a press statement, Branson stated, “I firmly think that space belongs to all of us.” “Virgin Galactic sits at the forefront of a new commercial space sector, which is set to open space to humanity and alter the world for the better, after more than 16 years of research, engineering, and testing.”
In the after-hours session on Thursday, Virgin Galactic’s stock rose by 21% to $52.32.
On July 20, Blue Origin, the company founded by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), will launch Bezos into space.
What’s Next: For the first time, Virgin Galactic will broadcast the flight live across the world. The feed will be broadcast live on Virgin Galactic.com, as well as on Virgin Galactic’s Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook pages. On the day of the flight, it is expected to begin at 9 a.m. EDT.
“It’s one thing to have a dream of making space more accessible to everyone; it’s another thing entirely to have an outstanding team work together to make that dream a reality,” Branson added.
Virgin Galactic pays a visit to the New York Stock Exchange to commemorate its IPO. Richard Branson makes a phone call. The First Trade Bell rings out.
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