 VSSUnity in February 2016 | |
| Mission type | Crewedsub-orbital spaceflight |
|---|---|
| Operator | Virgin Galactic |
| Mission duration | 14 minutes |
| Apogee | 87.2 km (54.2 mi) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | VSSUnity |
| Spacecraft type | SpaceShipTwo |
| Manufacturer | The Spaceship Company |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 6 |
| Members | Michael Masucci Frederick W. Sturckow Beth Moses Luke Mays Jamila Gilbert Christopher Huie |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 25 May 2023 15:15:00 UTC |
| Launch site | Spaceport America Runway 34 |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 25 May 2023 16:37:00 UTC |
| Landing site | Spaceport America Runway 34 |
 Virgin Galactic Unity 25 mission patch | |
Virgin GalacticUnity 25 was asub-orbital spaceflight byVirgin Galactic that took place on 25 May 2023. The flight used theirSpaceShipTwo spaceplaneVSSUnity. The crew consisted of six Virgin Galactic employees.Unity 25 was the first spaceflight for the company sinceUnity 22 in 2021, when founderRichard Branson flew to space.[1]
Unity 25 was the first spaceflight for Virgin Galactic since Richard Branson flew to space in July 2021. The company had planned to fly a research flight for theItalian Air Force,Unity 23, later that year, but the fleet was temporarily grounded following an error during Branson's flight, along with upgrades and modifications being made to the vehicles. Virgin Galactic plans to fly its first commercial flight in late June 2023, followingUnity 25's success.[2]
The crew ofUnity 25 included two pilots and four passengers, all being employees at Virgin Galactic. Both pilots have flown SpaceShipTwo to space previously, and CJ Sturckow has flown to space on theSpace Shuttle. Of the four passengers, only Beth Moses had flown to space before.[3]
| Position | Crew | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  Michael MasucciThird spaceflight | |
| Pilot | Frederick W. "CJ" Sturckow Seventh spaceflight | |
| Astronaut Instructor | Beth Moses Third spaceflight | |
| Passenger |  Christopher HuieOnly spaceflight | |
| Passenger | Jamila Gilbert Only spaceflight | |
| Passenger | Luke Mays Only spaceflight | |
The mission was Virgin Galactic's fifth spaceflight.VMSEve, aWhiteKnightTwo mothership, took off fromSpaceport America in New Mexico, and carried VSSUnity in aparasite configuration before releasing it. From there, the spaceplane ignited itsrocket engine and flew to over 50 mi (80 km) in altitude, above the U.S. definition for the start of space, but below theFAI-definedKármán line at 100 km (62 mi). It thenreentered the atmosphere and landed on the same runway it took off from.[4]
Parent company:Virgin Group | |
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