In photos: Virgin Galactic's 1st fully crewed spaceflight with billionaire Richard Branson

Richard Branson is going to space

The space tourism company Virgin Galactic successfully launched its founder Richard Branson and five other crewmembers into suborbital space on July 11, 2021 in a milestone mission that marked the first fully crewed flight of its VSS Unity space plane.

See photos of the mission preparations in this Space.com gallery as it happened in this exciting gallery.

Main story: Virgin Galactic launches Richard Branson to space in 1st fully crewed flight of VSS Unity

The crew of the fourth spaceflight of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity spaceliner — from left, Colin Bennet, Richard Branson, Beth Moses and Sirisha Bandla — share a moment before their launch on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spaceliner takes off beneath the wings of its carrier plane, VMS Eve, from Spaceport America in New Mexico on July 11, 2021.

VSS Unity separates from its carrier plane, VMS Eve, on July 11, 2021.

An up-close look at VSS Unity's rocket motor in action on July 11, 2021.

VSS Unity powers its way to suborbital space on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity launches billionaire Richard Branson and a crew of five others to suborbital space and back in a flight from Spaceport America, New Mexico on July 11, 2021.

A view of the Earth and the feathered tail of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity during the Unity 22 flight on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson in the cabin of VSS Unity during the space plane's ascent on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson soars like Superman while in weightlessness during his Unity 22 launch on the SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson (foreground) and his crew float in weightlessness aboard the VSS Unity spacecraft during their suborbital Unity 22 spaceflight on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson (left) and his fellow crewmates in the cabin of VSS Unity during its fourth spaceflight, on July 11, 2021.

A view of the Earth from Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity during the Unity 22 flight on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity is seen during the ferry flight up to launch altitude during the Unity 22 flight on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity touches down after completing its fourth flight to suborbital space, on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson (right) and the crew of Unity 22 celebrate their successful suborbital launch over Spaceport America, New Mexico after landing on July 11, 2021. Branson's crewmates are: (from left) Colin Bennett, Beth Moses and Sirisha Bandla, all Virgin Galactic employees.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson displays the headshot of comedian Stephen Colbert that he carried to space on the Unity 22 suborbital mission on Sunday, July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson holds up a photo of him with his children that he flew to space inside his flight suit pocket aboard the Unity 22 suborbital mission flown from Spaceport America in New Mexico on July 11, 2021.

Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor, places her hand over the inner pocket where she had the flowers she flew into space on the Unity 22 mission on July 11, 2021.

Virgin Galactic lead operations engineer Colin Bennett holds up the University of Illinois pennant that he carried into space for his alma mater on board the Unity 22 mission, July 11, 2021.

Spaceport America

The Virgin Galactic crew will fly to space in the SpaceShipTwo vehicle named VSS Unity, which will first ascend into the stratosphere tucked beneath the wings of a carrier plane called WhiteKnightTwo.

In this photo, Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spacecraft and WhiteKnightTwo are seen on the runway at Spaceport America, the company's new space tourism facility in New Mexico.

Photos: Take a tour of Spaceport America

Meet the Unity 22 crew

Virgin Galactic founder 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 mission named "Unity 22." The crewmembers are, from left:

Dave Mackay, chief pilot
Colin Bennett, lead operations engineer
Beth Moses, chief astronaut instructor
Richard Branson, "Astronaut 001"
Sirisha Bandla, vice president of government affairs and research operations
Michael "Sooch" Masucci, pilot

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson was Astronaut 001 for the Unity 22 flight..

Beth Moses

Beth Moses is the chief astronaut instructor at Virgin Galactic. She has previously flown to space once, on a SpaceShipTwo test flight in 2019. The Unity 22 mission will be her second spaceflight.

"Moses will serve as cabin lead and test director on Unity 22, overseeing the safe and efficient execution of the test flight objectives," Virgin Galactic officials wrote in a mission description.

Dave Mackay

Dave Mackay is Virgin Galactic's chief pilot, and he will be flying to space for his fourth time on the Unity 22 mission. Mackay is a former military test pilot and flew Boeing 747 airplanes for Virgin Atlantic before joining Virgin Galactic in 2009.

Michael Masucci

Michael "Sooch" Masucci will serve as a second pilot on VSS Unity for the Unity 22 mission. Masucci has flown the craft to space once before, on the February 2019 test flight with fellow pilot Dave Mackay and passenger Beth Moses.

Colin Bennett

Also on board the Unity 22 mission will be Virgin Galactic Lead Operations Engineer Colin Bennett, who will evaluate cabin equipment and procedures during throughout the flight.

Sirisha Bandla

Also flying on the Unity 22 mission will be Sirisha Bandla, vice president of government affairs and research operations at Virgin Galactic.

"Bandla will be evaluating the human-tended research experience, using an experiment from the University of Florida that requires several handheld fixation tubes that will be activated at various points in the flight profile," Virgin Galactic said in a mission description.

VSS Unity

Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane is pictured on the runway at Spaceport America, after completing its first glide flight (opens in new tab) over New Mexico, on May 1, 2020.

VMS Eve

Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft, named VMS Eve (Virgin Mother Ship Eve), will carry the VSS Unity space plane to an altitude of about 50,000 feet (15.5 kilometers). The space plane will then separate from its carrier plane and fire its engines for about one minute to accelerate into suborbital space, reaching an altitude of at least 50 miles (80 km).

The drop-off

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.

The view from space

This photo shows the view from Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane during its first piloted test flight from Spaceport America, which took place on May 22, 2021. It was the third crewed test flight of VSS Unity.

Virgin Galactic's 1st test passenger

Astronaut trainer Beth Moses looks out the window of VSS Unity during a test flight on Feb. 22, 2019. It was the first time that a passenger flew on the space plane; pilots Dave Mackay and Michael "Sooch" Masucci flew in the cockpit.

Full story: Virgin Galactic's 1st test passenger felt Like Spider-Man after launch

Inside VSS Unity

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo interior features six sleek passenger seats, a wealth of windows and room to float about the cabin. The crew will experience about four minutes of weightlessness during the suborbital spaceflight.

Full story: Virgin Galactic unveils sleek interior of SpaceShipTwo spaceliner (photos, video)