Space exploration has been a part of our culture since 1957. At its conception, it was for trained astronauts and only a dream for the untrained. In 2004, Richard Branson founded Virgin Galactic, a company that provides the opportunity for anyone to experience the magic of space flight.
Virgin Galactic is a space tourism company, founded by Richard Branson. The company hopes to make space travel possible for anyone that wants to go.
In this article, you will learn about the Virgin Galactic Company.
Why Virgin Galactic?
Richard Branson created the Virgin Galactic company as a subsidiary of Virgin Air. His goal in creating the company was to allow individuals to see the earth from a unique perspective. Virgin Galactic caters to individuals that want to have a space-like experience without becoming an elite astronaut. Virgin Galactic can provide this experience for a price.
The creation of Virgin Galactic is also a direct nod to the personality of Richard Branson himself. The dream of traveling to space is typically rooted in an adventurous spirit. A hallmark of Richard Branson’s personality is his desire for adventure. He is well known for powerboating and breaking records of hot air ballooning (Source: Britannica) It is no surprise that he would work to mainstream space travel.
How Many Space Vehicles are There?
As you can imagine, creating commercial space vehicles is expensive and time-consuming. The Virgin Galactic company has two specially made space vehicles.
WhiteKnightTwo: This vehicle does not carry passengers within its body. WhiteKnightTwo takes the second space vehicle to the correct altitude so it can safely accelerate into space.
SpaceShipTwo: This is the vehicle that carries the passengers to space. Once it reaches the proper altitude, it uses its rocket booster to move into space. The design allows it to safely ascend to the and slowly descend when the trip is over.
The development of these two vehicles took many years, a lot of money, and even included the loss of life during test flights. Richard Branson takes his mission very seriously and works continuously to ensure the safety of his passengers as he helps to make their dream a reality.
(Source: Virgin Galactic)
Cost To Travel
If you have ever dreamed of making a trip to space, you should know a hefty price tag is attached to the adventure. The starting price for a Virgin Galactic adventure is $450,000. This may seem like an exorbitant price, but around one hundred people have purchased tickets to secure their trip, and many others have inquired. (Source: Tech Spot)
What’s Included?
When you pay $450,000 for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you may be wondering what is included in the ticket price. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of bells and whistles attached to the price tag. However, all passengers on the flight keep their space jumpsuit and take part in a three-day training program before the flight.
Is it a Real Space Suit?
Each passenger is required to wear a specially made jumpsuit when they take flight. This jumpsuit is not an authentic astronaut spacesuit. Remember, astronauts, need to be prepared to move around space in a zero-gravity sitting for prolonged periods and require a significant amount of protection from the high-pressure levels they experience.
The Virgin Galactic jumpsuits provide comfort to the passengers. The trip won’t place passengers in a zero-gravity setting for a lengthy period, but there will be a few moments of floating around the shuttle. Richard Branson wanted to ensure his customers were both protected and comfortable, which is why the jumpsuits are necessary.
(Source: New York Times)
Training
Virgin Galactic takes its mission very seriously and wants customers to have the best experience possible. Because of this, there is a mandatory three-day training that takes place before the flight. The purpose of this training is to teach the passengers what to expect both mentally and physically. It also allows them to prepare for what it will feel like when moving at such an accelerated speed.
Space flight is something that is physically demanding. During this training session, medical experts are on hand to physically assess all passengers. Proper physical examination and preparedness help ensure no unnecessary medical emergencies occur on the flight.
(Source: Virgin Galactic)
Does Virgin Galactic Take You to Space?
Commercial space travel has introduced a lot of questions. One question is asking about how far into space do you go with Virgin Galactic. Unlike images you may have of space, the cutoff to be in space is fifty miles above the earth’s surface. While this is not going to place you into outer space, you will have a modified and similar experience. Passengers will get to feel weightlessness and they will be able to see the curve of the earth at this height. (Source: National Geographic)
Final Thoughts
Virgin Galactic is a company that is in the business of making the dreams of ultimate adventurers come true. If you are willing to pay the price, you can find yourself traveling to the edge of space and earning your title of astronaut.