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Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) announced the successful completion of its second spaceflight of 2024 and its 12th mission to date. The 'Galactic 07' flight carried one researcher and three private astronauts, continuing the company's commitment to space-based scientific research with its seventh research mission.
'Galactic 07' Mission Details
Onboard the 'Galactic 07' mission were four astronauts:
- Astronaut 027: Tuva Cihangir Atasever, an astronaut from the Turkish Space Agency (TUA) and backup mission specialist for Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3).
- Astronaut 028: Anand "Andy" Harish Sadhwani from California, USA.
- Astronaut 029: Irving Izchak Pergament from New York, USA.
- Astronaut 030: Giorgio Manenti from Italy.
Flight Facts and Milestones
The 'Galactic 07' mission featured several key highlights:
- Take-off Time: 08:31 am MT
- Altitude at Release: 44,562 feet
- Apogee: 54.4 miles
- Top Speed: Mach 2.96
- Landing Time: 9:41 am MT
This flight also carried two autonomous, rack-mounted payloads supported by NASA's Flight Opportunities program. One payload from Purdue University studied propellant slosh for spacecraft propulsion applications, while the other from the University of California, Berkeley, tested new 3D printing technology in microgravity.
Continued Commitment to Research
The 'Galactic 07' mission is a testament to Virgin Galactic's ongoing dedication to advancing scientific research in space. This mission follows previous research-focused flights such as 'Galactic 05,' which included U.S. Planetary Scientist Dr. Alan Stern and Bioastronautics Researcher Kellie Gerardi, and 'Galactic 01,' which collaborated with the Italian Air Force and National Research Council.
Pilots and Crew
The spacecraft for the 'Galactic 07' mission, VSS Unity, was expertly piloted by Commander Nicola Pecile and Pilot Jameel Janjua. The mothership, VMS Eve, was piloted by Commander Andy Edgell and Pilot C.J. Sturckow.
