Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic (USA, founded 2004) is a space tourism venture within Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. The company operates SpaceShipTwo, a reusable suborbital spaceplane that is air-launched from a carrier aircraft (WhiteKnightTwo). In July 2021, Virgin Galactic made history by flying Branson and a full crew of civilians to the edge of space, marking one of the first commercial astronaut flights. The spacecraft provides a few minutes of weightlessness and Earth views to its passengers before gliding back down to land. Virgin Galactic has a backlog of customers who have purchased tickets for future flights. The company’s long-term plan involves scaling up operations to offer regular suborbital trips and potentially developing a high-speed point-to-point travel capability. Virgin Galactic’s progress has made space accessible (briefly) to private individuals, paving the way for a burgeoning space tourism industry.