Virgin Galactic has made history again, this time launching its first commercial flight into space. The two pilots and six space tourists have just completed a successful launch, becoming the first people to travel to space as part of a commercial endeavor. The mission, which began on Wednesday morning, took the passengers 62 miles above the Earth’s surface. The spacecraft, named the VSS Unity, detached from its carrier aircraft at an altitude of 46,500 feet and flew freely for 11 minutes before returning to Earth.

The six space tourists, which included a Japanese billionaire, an American entrepreneur, and a Saudi prince, had all paid $250,000 to be a part of this historic flight. As they soared above the Earth, the passengers experienced zero gravity, witnessed a beautiful view of the Earth’s curvature, and spent several minutes in space.

Today marks a groundbreaking moment for humanity, as Virgin Galactic has become the first commercial spaceflight company to send passengers into space. We can only imagine what the future of space exploration holds, and look forward to seeing even more incredible feats of human ingenuity in the coming years.

Read Full Article Here

source: Phys.org