In pictures: Virgin Galactic's 1st fully crewed spaceflight with billionaire Richard Branson

Richard Branson is going to field

The sector tourism firm Virgin Galactic successfully launched its founder Richard Branson and 5 other crewmembers into suborbital field on July 11, 2021 in a milestone mission that marked the principle fully crewed flight of its VSS Solidarity field plane.

Ticket pictures of the mission preparations in this Dwelling.com gallery because it came about in this thrilling gallery.

Predominant story: Virgin Galactic launches Richard Branson to field in 1st fully crewed flight of VSS Solidarity

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

The crew of the fourth spaceflight of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Solidarity spaceliner — from left, Colin Bennet, Richard Branson, Beth Moses and Sirisha Bandla — half a moment sooner than their originate on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic’s VSS Solidarity spaceliner takes off underneath the wings of its provider plane, VMS Eve, from Spaceport The US in Current Mexico on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

VSS Solidarity separates from its provider plane, VMS Eve, on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

An up-conclude discover at VSS Solidarity’s rocket motor in motion on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

VSS Solidarity powers its system to suborbital field on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo VSS Solidarity launches billionaire Richard Branson and a crew of 5 others to suborbital field and again in a flight from Spaceport The US, Current Mexico on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

A stare of the Earth and the feathered tail of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo VSS Solidarity at some point soon of the Solidarity 22 flight on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson in the cabin of VSS Solidarity at some point soon of the sphere plane’s ascent on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson soars love Superman whereas in weightlessness at some point soon of his Solidarity 22 originate on the SpaceShipTwo VSS Solidarity on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson (foreground) and his crew float in weightlessness aboard the VSS Solidarity spacecraft at some point soon of their suborbital Solidarity 22 spaceflight on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson (left) and his fellow crewmates in the cabin of VSS Solidarity at some point soon of its fourth spaceflight, on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

A stare of the Earth from Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo VSS Solidarity at some point soon of the Solidarity 22 flight on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo VSS Solidarity is viewed at some point soon of the ferry flight up to originate altitude at some point soon of the Solidarity 22 flight on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic’s VSS Solidarity touches down after completing its fourth flight to suborbital field, on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson (merely) and the crew of Solidarity 22 celebrate their successful suborbital originate over Spaceport The US, Current Mexico after landing on July 11, 2021. Branson’s crewmates are: (from left) Colin Bennett, Beth Moses and Sirisha Bandla, all Virgin Galactic staff.

(Image credit rating: collectSPACE.com)

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson shows the headshot of comedian Stephen Colbert that he carried to field on the Solidarity 22 suborbital mission on Sunday, July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: collectSPACE.com)

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson holds up a photo of him alongside with his formative years that he flew to field inside his flight swimsuit pocket aboard the Solidarity 22 suborbital mission flown from Spaceport The US in Current Mexico on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: collectSPACE.com)

Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut teacher, locations her hand over the inside pocket the set she had the flowers she flew into field on the Solidarity 22 mission on July 11, 2021.

(Image credit rating: collectSPACE.com)

Virgin Galactic lead operations engineer Colin Bennett holds up the University of Illinois pennant that he carried into field for his alma mater on board the Solidarity 22 mission, July 11, 2021.

Spaceport The US

The Virgin Galactic crew will flee to field in the SpaceShipTwo automobile named VSS Solidarity, which will first ascend into the stratosphere tucked underneath the wings of a provider plane called WhiteKnightTwo.

In this photo, Virgin Galactic’s VSS Solidarity spacecraft and WhiteKnightTwo are viewed on the runway at Spaceport The US, the firm’s original field tourism facility in Current Mexico.

Photos: Steal a tour of Spaceport The US

Meet the Solidarity 22 crew

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson (third from merely) will originate on the firm’s first fully crewed flight on July 11, 2021, as fragment of a six-particular person mission named “Solidarity 22.” The crewmembers are, from left:

Dave Mackay, chief pilot
Colin Bennett, lead operations engineer
Beth Moses, chief astronaut teacher
Richard Branson, “Astronaut 001”
Sirisha Bandla, vp of authorities affairs and research operations
Michael “Sooch” Masucci, pilot

(Image credit rating: Virgin Galactic)

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson became Astronaut 001 for the Solidarity 22 flight..

Beth Moses

Beth Moses is the executive astronaut teacher at Virgin Galactic. She has beforehand flown to field as soon as, on a SpaceShipTwo check flight in 2019. The Solidarity 22 mission will likely be her 2d spaceflight.

“Moses could perhaps perhaps help as cabin lead and check director on Solidarity 22, overseeing the safe and efficient execution of the check flight dreams,” Virgin Galactic officers wrote in a mission description.

Dave Mackay

Dave Mackay is Virgin Galactic’s chief pilot, and he’s going to be flying to field for his fourth time on the Solidarity 22 mission. Mackay is a used protection pressure check pilot and flew Boeing 747 airplanes for Virgin Atlantic sooner than joining Virgin Galactic in 2009.

Michael Masucci

Michael “Sooch” Masucci could perhaps perhaps help as a 2d pilot on VSS Solidarity for the Solidarity 22 mission. Masucci has flown the craft to field as soon as sooner than, on the February 2019 check flight with fellow pilot Dave Mackay and passenger Beth Moses.

Colin Bennett

Additionally on board the Solidarity 22 mission will likely be Virgin Galactic Lead Operations Engineer Colin Bennett, who will review cabin gear and procedures at some point soon of all over the flight.

Sirisha Bandla

Additionally flying on the Solidarity 22 mission will likely be Sirisha Bandla, vp of authorities affairs and research operations at Virgin Galactic.

“Bandla will likely be evaluating the human-tended research expertise, utilizing an experiment from the University of Florida that requires several handheld fixation tubes which would perhaps be activated at diverse parts in the flight profile,” Virgin Galactic said in a mission description.

VSS Solidarity

Virgin Galactic’s VSS Solidarity field plane is pictured on the runway at Spaceport The US, after completing its first hover flight over Current Mexico, on May perhaps well merely 1, 2020.

Connected: How Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo passenger field plane works (infographic)

VMS Eve

Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo provider plane, named VMS Eve (Virgin Mother Ship Eve), will lift the VSS Solidarity field plane to an altitude of about 50,000 toes (15.5 kilometers). The sector plane will then was independent from its provider plane and fire its engines for approximately one minute to tempo up into suborbital field, reaching an altitude of not lower than 50 miles (80 km).

Connected: Will Richard Branson in actuality attain field on Virgin Galactic’s 1st fully crewed originate?

The tumble-off

This screenshot from a Virgin Galactic video reveals the firm’s VSS Solidarity automobile firing up its rocket motor at some point soon of its third check flight to suborbital field, on May perhaps well merely 22, 2021.

Connected: Whisk alongside with Virgin Galactic’s 1st originate from Spaceport The US in this awesome video

The stare from field

This photo reveals the stare from Virgin Galactic’s VSS Solidarity field plane at some point soon of its first piloted check flight from Spaceport The US, which took philosophize on May perhaps well merely 22, 2021. It became the third crewed check flight of VSS Solidarity.

Virgin Galactic’s 1st check passenger

Astronaut coach Beth Moses appears out the window of VSS Solidarity at some point soon of a check flight on Feb. 22, 2019. It became the principle time that a passenger flew on the sphere plane; pilots Dave Mackay and Michael “Sooch” Masucci flew in the cockpit.

Beefy story: Virgin Galactic’s 1st check passenger felt Esteem Spider-Man after originate

Interior VSS Solidarity

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo inside aspects six swish passenger seats, a wealth of dwelling windows and room to float about the cabin. The crew will expertise about four minutes of weightlessness at some point soon of the suborbital spaceflight.

Beefy story: Virgin Galactic unveils swish inside of SpaceShipTwo spaceliner (pictures, video)

Join our Dwelling Forums to preserve talking field on the most modern missions, evening sky and more! And whereas you happen to could perhaps perhaps have a data tip, correction or comment, allow us to hold at: [email protected].

Study Extra