Virgin Galactic launch sends customers to space from New Mexico: recap

For the first time in Virgin Galactic's 19-year existence, the private spaceflight company will launch three civilian customers — who either bought or won their seats on the VSS Unity — into space on Thursday, Aug. 10.

Although Virgin Galactic has not yet announced an exact time for liftoff, it is expected to take place shortly after the livestream begins at 9 a.m. MST.

The flight will last approximately 90 minutes, reaching a top speed of Mach 3 — three times the speed of sound, or 2,301 miles per hour. Passengers will experience three minutes of weightlessness at the top of the flight trajectory as they arc briefly into space before descending back to Earth.

Galactic 02, as the mission has been dubbed, will take off from Spaceport America, a private launch facility located deep in the New Mexican desert, an hour drive from Las Cruces.

This article will be updated live to keep you up to date with the Galactic 02 launch.

Virgin Galactic crew reunite with family, friends

9:59 a.m.: The passengers approached media in the Unity and were pulled in by a Range Rover SUV.

Jon Goodwin, 80, runs into his wife’s arms for a hug immediately after exiting Unity.

Keisha Schahaff said, "if anyone is wondering, Earth is round."

- Eli Wizevich

Who owns Virgin Galactic?

9: 59 a.m.: Richard Branson owns the company. The owner shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Galactic 02 crew safely landed in Spaceport America.

Branson was not in New Mexico for the space launch, officials from the company said.

- Eli Wizevich

Galactic 02 crew safety lands

Galactic 02 spacecraft safely landed at Spaceport America in New Mexico, after a nearly 16-minute flight. From the live feed, the crew clapped their hands as they landed.

- Aaron Bedoya

Virgin Galactic ticket price and cost

The ticket price to launch into space is $450,000, Jeff Michael, a media relations manager for Virgin Galactic, said.

- Eli Wizevich

Spacecraft preparing to travel into space

Galactic 02 crew released from the VSS Unity. The spacecraft is now preparing to travel into space.

- Eli Wizevich

Virgin Galatic flight time

9:21 a.m.: One minute away from space launch.

- Aaron Bedoya

Virgin Galactic live stream

9:15 a.m.: Watch the launch live below from the company.

- Aaron Bedoya

Liftoff before space launch

8:33 a.m. We have liftoff.

- Eli Wizevich

Virgin Galactic launch live

8:20 a.m.: A live feed of the VMS Eve and the VSS Unity, coupled together at the end of the runway in anticipation of takeoff in approximately 10 minutes.

- Eli Wizevich

Virgin Galactic flight schedule

7: 51 a.m.: Here is the morning schedule for today’s launch: (Times are approximate)

• 7 a.m.: Crews Hero Walk.

• 8:30 a.m.: Galactic 02 takeoff.

• 8:55 a.m.:  Live stream begins.

• 9:15 a.m.: VSS Unity Release.

• 10 a.m.: Galactic 02 lands.

A news briefing with the Galactic 02 crews is planned for noon.

- Eli Wizevich

Galactic 02 crew complete their 'walk of fame'

7: 23 a.m.: It seems like perfect weather for today's launch at Spaceport American. Galactic 02 crew completed their “walk of fame.” They were hanging out in their suites and came out into the public view

- Eli Wizevich

Mother and daughter head to space

Galactic 02 will be Virgin Galactic's first space flight to carry paying, civilian customers — rather than trained astronauts or Virgin Galactic employees — aboard the VSS Unity spacecraft.

Known as Astronaut 011, Jon Goodwin is a British Olympian canoeist and adventurer. At 80 years old, he will be the first Olympian and one of the oldest people in space.

Goodwin will also be the second person with Parkinson's Disease to travel to space. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2014, but in spite of the disease, he has kept up a strenuous and adventurous lifestyle, recently climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.

"For me to go to space and defy Parkinson's," Goodwin said in a Virgin Galactic promotional video, "is hopefully inspirational to all people."

The two other civilians on VSS Unity will be Keisha Schahaff, Astronaut 012, and her daughter, Anastatia Mayers, Astronaut 013. The duo will be the first mother and daughter to visit space, as well as the first from the Caribbean islands.

Schahaff is a health and wellness coach from Antigua and Barbuda. In a news release, she spoke of her lifelong dream to go to space. "When I was 2 years old, just looking up into the skies, I was like, How can I get there?" she said in a Virgin Galactic video.

At 18, Mayers will be the second youngest person to visit space. (A younger 18 year old flew to space aboard a commercial spaceflight with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin space travel company in 2021.) She studies philosophy and physics at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland with an ambition to become an astrobiologist.

The mother-daughter duo won their tickets to space in a lottery that Schahaff entered while aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight between Antigua and London in 2021.

Joining the three civilians passengers is Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor who has already been to space three times with Virgin Galactic. She was responsible for training the three civilians and will ensure that everything goes smoothly aboard the VSS Unity.

Meet the spacecraft crew

Four pilots in total are responsible for the Galactic 02 mission.

Two will fly the VMS Eve, a carrier for the VSS Unity, which will hold two more pilots, the four passengers and will detach from the "mothership" once the release altitude — roughly 47,000 feet above earth — is reached.

Nicola Pecile and Mike Masucci are responsible for piloting VMS Eve. Both have completed at least one commercial spaceflight before.

CJ Sturckow, a former NASA astronaut, and Kelly Latimer, a veteran pilot and retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, will pilot the VSS Unity. Sturckow has completed eight space flights. Galactic 02 will be Latimer's first.

How to watch the space launch

If you want to watch Galactic 02 leave the New Mexico desert for the Final Frontier, Virgin Galactic is hosting a live stream that begins Thursday, Aug. 10 at 9 a.m.

Visit their homepage, virgingalactic.com, to tune in and watch the Galactic 02 crew make history. The flight is expected to last 90 minutes before landing back in Spaceport America later that morning.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Virgin Galactic space flight: launch from Spaceport America