Virgin Galactic has blasted off to the edge of space, marking the company’s first commercial spaceflight.
After reaching an altitude of around 50,000 feet at 4.30pm UK time, the mothership, VMS Eve, released the rocket plane called VSS Unity with three Italian astronauts on board.
Those inside the spaceship unfurled an Italian flag after reaching a state of weightlessness, having been given the all-clear to unbuckle and “enjoy” zero gravity for a few minutes.
They then returned to their seats and strapped themselves back in ahead of the return journey.
Around 15 minutes later, the crew, including an astronaut instructor, landed safely back on Earth at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic tweeted: “Welcome back to Earth, #Galactic01! Our pilots, crew and spaceship have landed smoothly at @Spaceport_NM.”
He later said it was a “historic moment”, writing in Italian “what a fantastic flight!” and “well done”.
Ahead of the flight, concerns about the environmental damage of space tourism have been aired.
A 2022 study found space tourism produces black carbon particles that are almost 500 times more efficient at warming the atmosphere than all surface and airline sources of soot combined.
After being released into the upper atmosphere, the black carbon particles circulate for four to five years in a fine layer. This acts as a thin black umbrella absorbing solar radiation while blocking it from reaching Earth’s surface.
A 1.5-hour Virgin Galactic flight generates emissions equivalent to a ten-hour trans-Atlantic commercial air flight. However, the latter carries hundreds of passengers. With a passenger limit of six, a Virgin Galactic launch emits 4.5 tonnes of carbon per person.
And, most terrifyingly of all, Virgin Galactic is aiming to launch 400 space tourism flights every year.
Kind of fitting they chose June, likely to be the hottest on record, to launch their first one.
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