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Forum:	Commercial Space - Military Space
Topic:	Virgin Galactic%3A SpaceShipTwo passengers

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<table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="600"><TR><td bgcolor="#000000"><TABLE BORDER=0 cellpadding=4 border=0 cellspacing=1 WIDTH="100%"><TR bgcolor="#660000"><TD COLSPAN=2><CENTER>T O P I C     R E V I E W</CENTER></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>Richard Branson <A HREF="https://web.archive.org/web/20120704200925/https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/our-500th-astronaut--ashton-kutcher" TARGET=_blank>wrote today</A> (March 19, 2012) on his blog that Virgin Galactic has signed up its 500th SpaceShipTwo passenger: Ashton Kutcher. <BLOCKQUOTE>Great news today news from our Astronaut Relations team at Virgin Galactic: our 500th future astronaut customer has just signed up! Even better news is that number 500 is Ashton Kutcher. I gave Ashton a quick call to congratulate and welcome him. He is as thrilled as we are at the prospect of being among the first to cross the final frontier (and back!) with us and to experience the magic of space for himself.</BLOCKQUOTE> </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss have become the 700th and 701st passengers to reserve spaceflights through Virgin Galactic, choosing to pay for the suborbital trips using bitcoins. The twins (who famously accused Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their idea for the social network) announced the booking on <A HREF="http://winklevosscapital.com/posts/78649481042" TARGET=_blank>their blog</A>. <BLOCKQUOTE>Today, we see an independent technological infrastructure being built that allows these courageous entrepreneurs to risk their greatest human resources – their time, intelligence, extraordinary energy, and hard-earned capital – in modern attempts to achieve the unachievable, unconstrained by the technologies and boundaries of generations past.It is in this vein that Cameron and I contemplate our tickets into space – as seed capital supporting a new technology that may forever change the way we travel, purchased with a new technology that may forever change the way we transact.</BLOCKQUOTE> </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>Virgin Galactic release <blockquote>Virgin Galactic Invites Aspiring Astronauts to Take 'One Small Step' as Company Experiences Rocketing Global DemandNew US$1000 Category Moves Registrants to Front of Line for Future Spaceflight ReservationsVirgin Galactic Holdings, Inc., a vertically integrated aerospace company, announced today (Feb. 25, 2020) that in preparation for the re-opening of spaceflight sales, it is introducing the One Small Step initiative. The company formally closed its doors to new ticket sales after its history-making first space flight in December 2018. In addition to more than 600 firm reservations it has already taken from Future Astronaut customers from 60 countries, Virgin Galactic has received a consistently high level of interest from aspiring astronauts. This has resulted in 7957 online reservation registrations in the fourteen months since the first spaceflight and more than double the number the Company last reported in September 2019. In light of continuing, strong progress towards commercial service, Virgin Galactic is now preparing to release its next tranche of seats for sale to the general public. In the first phase of that process, the Company will be launching its new One Small Step qualification process on Wednesday, February 26th, allowing those who are serious about flying to space, to register now and be front of line for firm seat reservations, once they become available. To take One Small Step, future flyers will pay a fully refundable deposit of US$1,000 in a simple <a href="https://www.virgingalactic.com/smallstep/" target="AirLock">online registration process</a>. Commenting on the new initiative, Stephen Attenborough, Virgin Galactic's Commercial Director said: "We have been greatly encouraged by the ongoing and increasing demand seen from around the world for personal spaceflight. One Small Step allows us to help qualify and build confidence in our direct sales pipeline, as well as to ensure that those who are most keen to make reservations, are able to do so at the earliest opportunity." Virgin Galactic has not yet announced detailed timing or cost information in respect of the next set of seats to be released.When new seats are released by Virgin Galactic, they will be offered first to Small Step registrants, allowing them to make the One Giant Leap to a confirmed spaceflight reservation and gain full membership of the thriving Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut Community.</blockquote></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>328KF</TD><TD>Interestingly, Elon Musk, who was at Spaceport America for Richard Branson's Unity 22 flight, <A HREF="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-virgin-galactic-ticket-richard-branson-space-deposit-price-2021-7?op=1" TARGET=_blank>has purchased a ticket</A> to fly aboard a future Virgin Galactic spaceflight. <BLOCKQUOTE>Musk has paid a $10,000 deposit to secure a seat on a future Virgin Galactic trip, Branson told The Sunday Times in an interview. The date has not been set, he told the newspaper.</BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>Forbes clarifies that Elon Musk <A HREF="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2021/07/12/inside-elon-musks-ticket-to-space--on-richard-bransons-spaceship/?sh=69b76a2647a3" TARGET=_blank>made his reservation in 2006</A>. <BLOCKQUOTE>"Elon Musk has a Galactic ticket," Will Whitehorn — who served as president of Galactic from 2004 to 2010, and is now president of U.K. Space, the industry trade association — told Forbes on Friday. "I know because I sold it to him." The deposit — which came four years after Musk founded SpaceX — would have set Musk back about $250,000, if he paid the going rate.</BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: ...Virgin Galactic has signed up its 500th SpaceShipTwo passenger: Ashton Kutcher.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Ashton Kutcher said on Wednesday (July 14) that <A HREF="https://mashable.com/article/ashton-kutcher-sold-virgin-galactic-ticket-to-space" TARGET=_blank>he sold his ticket</A>. <BLOCKQUOTE>"I was booked on a flight to go to space and, in fact, I'm quite rueful about the fact that I am not going to space," Kutcher said, "My wife asked me to sell my ticket to space because she didn't think that it was a smart family decision."</BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Headshot</TD><TD>I wonder who will be the first customer to fly into space twice? Once on Virgin Galactic and once on Blue Origin ... or vice versa.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>ColinBurgess</TD><TD>As far as I can recall, Wally Funk is still listed for a suborbital flight with Virgin Galactic.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>Virgin Galactic release <blockquote>Omaze and Virgin Galactic Announce Winner of Once-in-a-Lifetime Trip to SpaceToday, Omaze, the charity fundraising platform that offers the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences and prizes, and Virgin Galactic, revealed that Keisha S. from Antigua and Barbuda is the exclusive winner of two seats on a Virgin Galactic commercial space flight. Born and raised in Antigua, Keisha is a health and energy coach who is passionate about empowering women to live their best lives. She has always had a lifelong dream of going to space, and hopes to bring her daughter, an astrophysics student, as her guest on this incredible journey.Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson, Omaze CEO and co-founder Matt Pohlson, and Space For Humanity executive director Rachel Lyons surprised Keisha at her home in Antigua to share the news that she won.<center><iframe width="400" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0PlPCmbm338" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen>

The sweepstakes kicked off in July following Virgin Galactic's historic Unity 22 mission, and drew donations from 164,338 people around the world in eight weeks to raise a projected $1.7M in grants benefiting Space for Humanity and their Citizen Astronaut Program. These anticipated grants from Charities Aid Foundation America (CAF America), will help Space for Humanity transform perspectives and train candidates to ensure an inclusive future in space.

"Being able to give people of all ages and backgrounds equal access to space, and in turn, the opportunity to lead and inspire others back on Earth, is what Virgin Galactic has been building towards for the past two decades," said Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic Founder. "It was remarkable to be there for the beginning of Keisha's journey to space; she is an extraordinary person who is already inspiring people with the work she does to support women in her home of Antigua and Barbuda. This experience will provide another platform for her to inspire many more people into the future. I couldn't be happier to see the mission of Virgin Galactic come to life and to work with such amazing partners like Omaze and Space for Humanity in our continued commitment to make space accessible to all."

Omaze offers people the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences to support charities around the world. Their unique model allows for people who dream big to experience truly out of this world opportunities.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to announce Keisha as the winner of our biggest experience offering to date," said Matt Pohlson, CEO and Co-Founder of Omaze. "Omaze exists to dream the world better. Not only will a lifelong stargazer get to experience space, but this also helps Space for Humanity open up that opportunity to even more people. Because of that, the partnership with Virgin Galactic and Space for Humanity was a dream come true for Omaze too."

Above: Omaze CEO and co-founder Matt Pohlson, Sir Richard Branson, Omaze winner Keisha, and Space For Humanity Executive Director Rachel Lyons congratulate Keisha at her home in Antigua.

Keisha will also join Virgin Galactic's Future Astronaut community, as the first person from the Caribbean islands. The Future Astronaut community is an established and growing family of 700 individuals from over 60 countries, all united by a shared passion for adventure and the desire to push the boundaries of humankind. Through being a member of this community, Keisha and her fellow Future Astronauts will be invited to participate in extraordinary experiences to make new connections and prepare for their journey into space. Along with space anticipation and space readiness, the Future Astronaut community uses its collective power as a force for good by inspiring students to study STEM through their involvement with Galactic Unite.

"I've always had a lifelong love of flying and a fascination with space, and this is truly a dream come true for me," said Keisha. "It means the world to me. I hope to share this experience with my daughter, so together we can inspire the next generation to follow their dreams."

In addition to experiencing the wonder of space travel, Keisha will receive a guided tour of Spaceport America, the world's first purpose-built Spaceport in New Mexico, from Sir Richard Branson and the Virgin Galactic team.

Robert Pearlman

Virgin Galactic release

Virgin Galactic Announces New Research Flight Contract with Repeat Customer
International Institute for Astronautical Sciences to Expand Research Conducted on Galactic 05 Flight
Second-Time Virgin Galactic Astronaut Kellie Gerardi to Lead IIAS Crew Aboard Next Generation Delta Spaceship
Virgin Galactic today (June 20) announced a new contract with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences ("IIAS") to fly three research astronauts as part of a future crew aboard the Company's Delta Class spaceship.
Above: International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS) research astronauts Shawna Pandya, Kellie Gerardi and Norah Patten. (Virgin Galactic)
It will be the second research mission that IIAS has conducted with Virgin Galactic. It follows 'Galactic 05' in November 2023, which tested novel healthcare technologies and examined how fluids behaved in low gravity to help inform designs for future medical technologies and life-support systems. The mission is anticipated to take place within the first year of Delta commercial service, which remains on track to commence in 2026.
"We were thrilled with the results from our fluid cell experiment on 'Galactic 05', which demonstrated our ability to accurately predict the behavior of fluid in a container in a weightless environment. We'll be expanding on that research for our next mission, and I'll be working to demonstrate our ability to control the behavior of the liquid as well," said astronaut and IIAS Director of Human Spaceflight Operations Kellie Gerardi. "The quality and repeatability of the microgravity environment provided by Virgin Galactic's system is truly game-changing and the potential for a 'fly, fix, fly' approach opens the door to many exciting possibilities for IIAS to make discoveries that benefit future explorers."
The IIAS astronaut crew expected to participate in the research mission includes:
Kellie Gerardi, a bioastronautics researcher and IIAS Director of Human Spaceflight Operations from the U.S. Gerardi previously flew as a payload specialist on the 'Galactic 05' research mission.
Dr. Shawna Pandya, a physician, aquanaut, bioastronautics researcher, and Director of IIAS's Space Medicine Group, from Canada.
Dr. Norah Patten, an aeronautical engineer and bioastronautics researcher from Ireland.
The mission is designed to enable IIAS to introduce new research while also expanding upon the results from 'Galactic 05', during which astronaut Kellie Gerardi was able to successfully validate a fluid behavior theory within the high-quality microgravity conditions available through Virgin Galactic's unique flight system. The IIAS crew plans to fly additional fluid cells, with payload enhancements including upgrades to camera quality and accelerometer measurements.
"We're excited to continue our partnership with IIAS in an expanded capacity," said Virgin Galactic Vice President of Government Affairs and Research Operations, Sirisha Bandla. "Our suborbital science lab is revolutionizing the field of microgravity research by offering routine, reliable access to space – and it's great to see institutions like IIAS begin to build iterative and innovative campaigns around suborbital space-based research."
Virgin Galactic's Delta Class spaceships can be configured to fly either six mission specialists, or four specialists and two additional payload racks, depending on customer needs. More information will be shared regarding further mission specialists and payloads joining the IIAS crew on this spaceflight as the manifest expands.
Each Delta spaceship is currently estimated to be capable of flying up to eight space missions per month, which is twelve times the monthly capacity of the Company's original spaceship, VSS Unity. The new spaceship fleet is anticipated to dramatically increase repeatable and reliable access to the microgravity environment.

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