Spaceflight Insider

News Archive / Tagged: Sir Richard Branson

  • Passengers on upcoming VG flights will get pins for spiffy new uniforms

    Jason RhianOctober 27th, 2019

    When Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo takes to the skies with paying customers, those flying onboard the will be awarded pins by the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) upon their return. This, however, will not be the apparel that will mark their voyage. Recent events suggest that Virgin Galactic is about to open its operational doors.

  • Virgin Galactic merges with Social Capital Hedosophia

    Cullen DesforgesJuly 10th, 2019

    In an unprecedented move for the commercial space flight industry, Virgin Galactic (VG) and Social Capital Hedosophia (SCH) have announced a merger which is expected to become effective once the transaction closes this year.

  • Gallery: Thursday’s rocket-powered flight sees VSS Unity break Mach 2

    Jason RhianJuly 27th, 2018

    MOJAVE, Calif. -- In a span of less than four months, Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity has carried out three "rocket-powered" supersonic flights. The most recent test took place on Thursday, July 26, 2018. 

  • Our SpaceFlight Heritage: SpaceShipOne, Government Zero – 13 years later

    Jason RhianJune 21st, 2017

    It was a heady time for the emerging NewSpace movement, Scaled Composites had sent Mike Melvill in SpaceShipOne on flight 15P up 62 miles into space. This set the stage for them to win the Ansari X-PRIZE and from there send the first tourists on suborbital hops. Or, so they hoped. Thirteen years later, the follow-on vehicle, SpaceShipTwo, has yet to send a single tourist to sub-orbit.

  • Virgin Galactic’s Unity makes successful test run

    Larry KlaesSeptember 9th, 2016

    Virgin Galactic, the commercial space wing of Virgin Group, Ltd., has begun its recovery from a fatal flight accident, nearly two years ago, with the successful first test flight of its newest SpaceShipTwo class spaceplane, the Virgin Space Ship (VSS) Unity, on Thursday, Sept. 8, above the Mojave Desert in California.

  • Stephen Hawking to help roll out, christen SpaceShipTwo No. 2

    Joe LatrellJanuary 5th, 2016

    Virgin Galactic is almost back to conducting test flights again. SpaceShipTwo Tail No. 2 will be unveiled at a special event held at the Mojave Air and Space port. The debut is scheduled for Feb. 19, with several Virgin Galactic VIPs and the company's founder Richard Branson slated to attend.

  • SpaceShipTwo: The Survival of a Pilot and an Industry

    Josh TallisNovember 17th, 2014

    Only days after the explosion of Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Antares rocket on Wallops Island, VA, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo experienced a catastrophic failure. The unlikely survival of a test pilot, and the tenacity of a company, provide a compelling narrative blending human interest and entrepreneurial drive.

  • Richard Branson arrives at SpaceShipTwo crash site, investigation underway

    Tomasz NowakowskiNovember 1st, 2014

    Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, after arriving at the SpaceShipTwo in Mojave Desert, California on Saturday, acknowledged that his dream of commercial space tourism may have ended in the explosion that consumed Virgin Galactic’s test craft, but the company will learn from the mistakes and continue its mission to send people into space.