Galactic 01, previously referred to as Unity 23, was a
sub-orbital spaceflight of the
SpaceShipTwo-class
VSS ''Unity'' which launched on 29 June 2023. The launch was the first commercial spaceflight for
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and his British Virgin Group retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and operates from New Mexico. The company i ...
.
A research mission for the Italian Air Force, the crew consisted of pilots Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile as well as crew members Colin Bennett,
Walter Villadei
Walter Villadei (born April 29, 1974) is an Italian military officer. He graduated from the Academy of the Italian Air Force in Pozzuoli and holds a master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Naples Federico II and a specializ ...
, Angelo Landolfi, and Pantaleone Carlucci (
National Research Council of Italy - CNR). The flight was postponed from its original planned October 2021 flight date for Virgin Galactic to upgrade its SpaceShipTwo vehicles.
During the flight, Villadei wore a suit to measure biometric data and his physiological responses to spaceflight. Landolfi carried out experiments on the effects of microgravity on cognitive performance, along with its effects on how materials mix. Carlucci's heart rate and other metrics were monitored through sensors during the flight.
Crew
Usually, every crew on a space mission has backup crewmembers. In fact, in a Virgin Galactic video promoting Galactic 01, we also see Lucia Paciucci, an engineer from the Italian National Research Council.
References
External links
N202VG Virgin Galactic 1 Flight tracking history log
{{Virgin Galactic
SpaceShipTwo
Aviation history of the United States
Aviation history of Italy
Suborbital human spaceflights
Commercial spaceflight
2023 in spaceflight
2023 in New Mexico
2023 in aviation