Virgin Galactic's Commercial Space Flight Takes Off Amid Controversy and High Stakes
Virgin Galactic is set to launch its first commercial spaceflight, Galactic 01, on June 29. The VSS Unity rocket plane will carry a crew of three Italian Air Force members, a Virgin Galactic instructor, and two pilots to conduct scientific research at the edge of space. The livestream of the flight will be available on Virgin Galactic's website. The company plans to launch its Galactic 02 mission in August with private astronauts on board and aims to offer monthly commercial spaceflights. SPCE stock surged over 9% ahead of the launch, but remains below its 52-week high.