WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. has announced that it will launch its first commercial space flight later this month.
Virgin Galactic plans to kick start its commercial space line operations on June 27. The four-day maiden commercial spaceflight is titled 'Galactic 01'. The second commercial spaceflight, 'Galactic 02,' is planned to fly during early August.
It will be followed by monthly spaceflights by Sir Richard Branson's space tourism company.
Galactic 01 will be a scientific research mission. The three-member crew from the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy will conduct microgravity research.
Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and space travel company, pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers with its advanced air and space vehicles.
Virgin Galactic's spaceflight system is gearing up for its debut voyage after confronting a series of accidents and technical glitches.
In May, Virgin Galactic mission specialists Jamila Gilbert, Christopher Huie, and Luke Mays successfully completed its Unity 25 mission to space to evaluate the end-to-end astronaut training and spaceflight experience.
Billed as the vehicle's final test flight, the Virgin Galactic's rocket plane climbed high over the New Mexico desert to the outer space before flying back down.
More than 800 people have booked tickets to fly aboard the spaceflight for a distance of 80 kilometers above Earth at a cost of $450,000.
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