Virgin Galactic: Final Preparations for Galactic 06 Spaceflight!

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. stated that the flight window for its upcoming mission, ‘Galactic 06,’ is set to open on 26 January 2024. This mission marks a notable milestone as the company’s 11th spaceflight, following a series of six suborbital spaceflights conducted within the past year. The launch is set to take place from Spaceport America in New Mexico within a time frame starting at noon EST (1700 GMT; 10 a.m. local New Mexico time).

Galactic 06 crew passangers

The frequency and success of these spaceflights underscore Virgin Galactic’s commitment to advancing human spaceflight capabilities. In the upcoming Galactic 06 mission, four private astronauts representing three different countries will embark on a journey into space, adding an international dimension to Virgin Galactic’s expanding portfolio of commercial spaceflights. The names of the respective astronauts have not been released, but where they reside has. 

The astronauts who will be onboard the ‘Glactic 06’ mission include:

• Astronaut 023 – Private Astronaut from Ukraine and Las Vegas, United States 
• Astronaut 024 – Private Astronaut from Texas, United States 
• Astronaut 025 – Private Astronaut from Austria 
• Astronaut 026 – Private Astronaut from California, United States

The CEO of Virgin Galatic, Michael Colglazier, via a press release, said:

“Our inaugural year of commercial service demonstrated our spaceflight system’s ability to regularly deliver a safe and unparalleled customer experience for our astronauts and established new turn time records for reusable human spaceflight systems. We’re excited to begin 2024 by bringing four new Virgin Galactic astronauts to space with our ‘Galactic 06’ mission.” 

The Virgin Galactic crew will consist of: 

• VSS Unity Commander CJ Sturckow and pilot Nicola Pecile 
• VMS Eve Commander Michael Masucci and Pilot Dan Alix

Virgin Galactic Working at Speed

The company completed six spaceflights within six months in 2023, marking a noteworthy achievement following a two-year hiatus dedicated to hardware upgrades. These diverse spaceflights catered to a range of clients, including private tourists and governmental customers. 
Walter Villadei of the Italian Air Force led Italy’s Virtute-1 mission on a Virgin spaceflight on 29th June. This mission served as a training opportunity for his forthcoming journey to the International Space Station aboard Axiom Space’s Ax-3 mission, scheduled for liftoff on 9th January.