The Space Race Is On
Virgin Galactic might beat Blue Origin to space, or it might not. It depends on which country you ask.
Virgin Galactic made history recently by becoming the first spaceliner to be certified to carry passengers into space. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the company its license after clearing the final two hurdles in its May test flight.
This news comes just after Jeff Bezos auctioned off the first seat for Blue Origin’s July launch to beyond Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Virgin Galactic’s May test flight sent its VSS Unity spacecraft at a speed of Mach 3 (just under 2,300 mph) and over 55 miles into the sky. The United States views 50 miles up as the barrier to space, making Virgin Galactic officially space-bound.
Four pilots and one trainer have been aboard the company’s test flights, meaning Virgin Galactic has five FAA-recognized astronauts.
Virgin Galactic still has three more test flights before it considers development complete. It originally planned to send four passengers on its next test flight to test the spacecraft’s cabin, followed by founder Richard Branson and members of the Italian Air Force for astronaut training.
