Galactic 01

Galactic 01

VSS Unity in February 2016
Names	Galactic 01 (official) Virgin Galactic Unity 23 (former)
Mission type	Crewed suborbital spaceflight
Operator	Virgin Galactic
Apogee	85.1 km (52.9 mi)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	VSS Unity
Spacecraft type	SpaceShipTwo
Manufacturer	The Spaceship Company
Crew
Members	Michael Masucci Nicola Pecile Walter Villadei Angelo Landolfi Pantaleone Carlucci Colin Bennett
Start of mission
Launch date	29 June 2023 14:30:00 UTC
Launch site	Spaceport America Runway 34
Deployed from	VMS Eve
End of mission
Landing date	29 June 2023 15:42:28 UTC
Landing site	Spaceport America Runway 34
Galactic 01 mission patch VSS Unity spaceflights

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.^[1] The launch was the first commercial spaceflight for Virgin Galactic.^[2] A research mission for the Italian Air Force,^[3] the crew consisted of pilots Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile as well as crew members Colin Bennett, Walter Villadei, 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.^[4][5]

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.^[6]

Crew

Position	Crew
Commander	Michael Masucci Fourth spaceflight
Pilot	Nicola Pecile First spaceflight
Mission manager	Walter Villadei First spaceflight
Researcher	Pantaleone Carlucci First spaceflight
Doctor	Angelo Landolfi First spaceflight
Astronaut instructor	Colin Bennett Second spaceflight

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.^[7]

References

1. WATCH LIVE: Galactic 01 Spaceflight, retrieved 28 June 2023
2. Virgin Galactic completes first commercial flight in major step for space tourism company
3. Davenport, Justin (25 May 2023). "VSS Unity conducts first powered flight since Branson's trip in 2021". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
4. @virgingalactic (14 October 2021). "Flight test program update" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
5. Foust, Jeff (15 October 2021). "Virgin Galactic postpones SpaceShipTwo flight, begins maintenance period". SpaceNews. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
6. updated, Mike Wall last (2 September 2021). "Virgin Galactic announces crew for next launch to suborbital space". Space.com. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
7. "Quattro italiani in volo con Virgin Galactic il 29 giugno: Per Aeronautica militare e CNR missione Virtute dal New Mexico. Lo spazioporto a Grottaglie Video". 15 June 2023.

External links

• N202VG Virgin Galactic 1 Flight tracking history log