George T Whitesides, CEO and President, Virgin Galactic George Whitesides Is the CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, the Space

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George T Whitesides, CEO and President, Virgin Galactic George Whitesides is the CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, the spaceflight company founded by Sir Richard Branson. Using technologies developed to win the historic X Prize, the company has developed revolutionary new space vehicles to take people and small satellites to space at very low cost. In his role, Whitesides is responsible for guiding all aspects of the company to the launch of commercial operations in the United States and a proposed spaceport in Abu Dhabi. This includes oversight of The Spaceship Company, a manufacturing entity to produce additional space vehicles. Virgin Galactic currently has deposits from over 540 individuals for its spaceflight experience, representing over $100M of future business, as well as preliminary agreements with satellite operators to launch as many as hundreds of small satellites. Prior to Virgin Galactic, Whitesides served as Chief of Staff for NASA, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Upon his departure from the agency he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award the agency confers. Prior to his role at NASA, Whitesides served as Executive Director of the National Space Society (NSS). NSS is a space policy and education group based in Washington DC that was founded by Apollo program leader Wernher von Braun and the journalist Hugh Downs. Whitesides currently serves on the board of Virgin Unite USA, the philanthropic organisation of Virgin Group; the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Space Security; and the advisory board of the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement Foundation. He is a Fellow of the UK’s Royal Aeronautical Society, and Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has previously served as Chairman of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Working Group for the FAA's Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee. He served for four years on the Board of Trustees of Princeton University. Whitesides has testified on American space policy before the United States Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy. Whitesides maintains an active speaking and media schedule. Mr. Whitesides received his undergraduate degree in public and international affairs with honors from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, a master’s degree in geographic information systems and remote sensing from the University of Cambridge in England, and was a Fulbright Scholar to Tunisia. Whitesides is a licensed private pilot and certified parabolic flight coach. .

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Virgin Galactic Announces First Fully Crewed Spaceflight
Virgin Galactic Announces First Fully Crewed Spaceflight Test Flight Window for Unity 22 Mission Opens July 11 Four Mission Specialists to Evaluate Virgin Galactic Astronaut Experience Virgin Galactic Founder Sir Richard Branson Among Mission Specialists First Global Livestream of Virgin Galactic Spaceflight LAS CRUCES, N.M. July 1, 2021 - Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (the “Company” or “Virgin Galactic”), a vertically integrated aerospace and space travel company, today announced that the fligHt window for the next rocket-powered test flight of its SpaceShipTwo Unity opens July 11, pending weather and technical checks. The “Unity 22” mission will be the twenty-second flight test for VSS Unity and the Company’s fourth crewed spaceflight. It will also be the first to carry a full crew of two pilots and four mission specialists in tHe cabin, including the Company’s founder, Sir Richard Branson, who will be testing the private astronaut experience. Building on tHe success of the Company’s most recent spaceflight in May, Unity 22 will focus on cabin and customer experience objectives, including: • Evaluating the commercial customer cabin with a full crew, including the cabin environment, seat comfort, the weightless experience, and the views of Earth that the spaceship delivers — all to ensure every moment of the astronaut’s journey maximizes the wonder and awe created by space travel • Demonstrating tHe conditions for conducting human-tended research experiments • Confirming the training program at Spaceport America supports the spaceflight experience For the first time, Virgin Galactic will share a global livestream of the spaceflight. Audiences around the world are invited to participate virtually in tHe Unity 22 test flight and see first-hand the extraordinary experience Virgin Galactic is creating for future astronauts.
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