Virgin Galactic

Learn more about Virgin Galactic's plan to make space tourism and personal space travel a reality with SpaceShipTwo.

Related Topics: Space Tourism, SpaceX, NASA Space Launch System

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This screenshot from a Virgin Galactic video shows the company's VSS Unity vehicle firing up its rocket motor during its third test flight to suborbital space, on May 22, 2021.

Virgin Galactic will launch billionaire Richard Branson into space today. Here's how to watch it live.

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

Virgin Galactic will broadcast the flight of its founder, Richard Branson, as he soars into space on Sunday (July 11).

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson rides a bike to Spaceport America ahead of his launch on the Unity 22 mission on July 11, 2021.

Billionaire Richard Branson rode a bike to Virgin Galactic's Unity 22 launch site ahead of his big spaceflight

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

Virgin Galactic's billionaire founder Richard Branson decided to bike to the launch pad at Spaceport America ahead of his long-awaited trip to space.

SpaceShipTwo Unity completes a runway landing at Spaceport America, New Mexico.

This NASA-supported plant experiment will launch to space on Virgin Galactic's Unity 22 flight

By Elizabeth Howell published

Three tubes of plants will be among the experiments flying to space on Virgin Galactic's Unity space plane with the company's founder Richard Branson and his crew today (July 11).

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson will launch on the SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity on July 11, 2021 alongside five crewmates on the Unity 22 mission.

SpaceX's Elon Musk and celebrities cheer on Virgin Galactic's Unity 22 launch (video)

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

SpaceX's Elon Musk is among the high-profile people celebrating Branson's preparations for space.

Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson (third from right) will launch on the company's first fully crewed flight on July 11, 2021 as part of a six-person crew. They are (from left): Pilot Dave Mackay; Coplin Bennet, lead operations engineer; Beth Moses, chief astronaut instructor; Branson; Sirisha Bandla, vice president of government affairs and research operations; and pilot Michael Masucci.

Virgin Galactic slightly delays launch of Richard Branson and crew due to bad weather

By Tariq Malik last updated

Virgin Galactic has slightly delayed the launch of its Unity 22 mission with billionaire founder Richard Branson due to bad weather.

Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Galactic, will launch on the company's first fully crewed spaceflight on the SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity from Spaceport America, New Mexico on July 11, 2021.

Billionaires and Space — The Right Race (op-ed)

By Rick Tumlinson published

As the billionaire space race heats up between Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, it's easy to get the wrong message.

Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson (third from right) will launch on the company's first fully crewed flight on July 11, 2021 as part of a six-person crew. They are (from left): Pilot Dave Mackay; Coplin Bennet, lead operations engineer; Beth Moses, chief astronaut instructor; Branson; Sirisha Bandla, vice president of government affairs and research operations; and pilot Michael Masucci.

Meet the crew launching on Virgin Galactic's 1st fully crewed flight Unity 22

By Elizabeth Howell published

Here's the crew of Virgin Galactic Unity 22 suborbital spaceflight on Sunday (July 11) and what they think about their big launch.

Fisher Space Pen has created special Infinium space pens for use by Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic crew.

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic crew to sign flight log with special space pens

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

Virgin Galactic will use Fisher space pens when it launches six astronauts to suborbital space on July 11, 2021.

This screenshot from a Virgin Galactic video shows the company's VSS Unity vehicle firing up its rocket motor during its third test flight to suborbital space, on May 22, 2021.

It's been a long road to passenger spaceflight for Virgin Galactic and rival Blue Origin

By Mike Wall last updated

Richard Branson's path to space has been quite a bit longer and more circuitous than he anticipated.

Richard Branson speaks on NBC's "Today Show," on July 6, 2021.

Stephen Colbert will host Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Unity launch on Sunday

By Mike Wall last updated

Richard Branson's spaceflight is shaping up to be quite a star-studded affair.

Jeff Bezos at Blue Origin's launch pad in West Texas with a New Shepard rocket in the background.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin throws shade at Virgin Galactic ahead of Richard Branson's launch

By Elizabeth Howell published

For the tiny few of us who can afford to pay for a trip in space, Blue Origin is already ramping up its marketing against competitor Virgin Galactic.

Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, as seen in 2014.

As space billionaires take flight, 'the right stuff' for space travel enters a new era

By Meghan Bartels last updated

This month, two billionaires will take to the skies in a pair of historic suborbital spaceflights that mark a dramatic change in what it takes to become an astronaut.

Virgin Galactic Farnborough Press Event Tent.

Who is Virgin Galactic and what do they do?

By Josh Dinner last updated

Reference Virgin Galactic is offering suborbital flights to anyone with pockets deep enough to buy a seat, and there is a lengthy waitlist.

Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson (third from right) will launch on the company's first fully crewed flight on July 11, 2021 as part of a six-person crew. They are (from left): Pilot Dave Mackay; Coplin Bennet, lead operations engineer; Beth Moses, chief astronaut instructor; Branson; Sirisha Bandla, vice president of government affairs and research operations; and pilot Michael Masucci.

Will Richard Branson actually reach space on Virgin Galactic's 1st fully crewed launch?

By Mike Wall last updated

As the commercial race to suborbital space has heated up in the past few years, a tricky question has popped up again and again: Where does outer space begin?

Richard Branson speaks on NBC's "Today Show," on July 6, 2021.

Richard Branson says he isn't racing Jeff Bezos into space with Virgin Galactic launch

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson denied that he is in a billionaire space race with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Galactic, will launch on the company's first fully crewed spaceflight on the SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity from Spaceport America, New Mexico, on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic says it will launch Richard Branson to space on July 11

By Chelsea Gohd last updated

Billionaire Richard Branson is set to fly to space aboard Virgin Galactic's next flight, which could take off as soon as July 11.

This screenshot from a Virgin Galactic video shows the company's VSS Unity vehicle firing up its rocket motor during its third test flight to suborbital space, on May 22, 2021.

Virgin Galactic can fly passengers to suborbital space, FAA says

By Mike Wall published

The FAA has updated Virgin Galactic's spaceflight operator license, allowing it to fly paying customers in addition to crewmembers, company representatives announced today (June 25).

Virgin Galactic announced in June 2021 that science communicator and researcher Kellie Gerardi will fly with Virgin Galactic on a research flight.

Virgin Galactic to launch science communicator and researcher to space

By Chelsea Gohd published

Kellie Gerardi, citizen scientists and STEM influencer, will fly in space.

This screenshot from a Virgin Galactic video shows the company's VSS Unity vehicle firing up its rocket motor during its third test flight to suborbital space, on May 22, 2021.

Ride along with Virgin Galactic's 1st launch from Spaceport America in this awesome video

By Mike Wall published

A dramatic video lets us all fly along on Virgin Galactic's latest spaceflight, which occurred over the weekend.

The view from Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane during its third crewed spaceflight, which took place on May 22, 2021.

Virgin Galactic launches 1st SpaceShipTwo spaceflight from New Mexico

By Mike Wall last updated

Virgin Galactic launched its first SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceflight from New Mexico Saturday (May 22) in a big leap forward toward commercial launches.