Virgin Galactic Is Transforming Access to Space
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May 2021 VIRGIN GALACTIC AT A GLANCE Who: Virgin Galactic: the world’s first commercial spaceline. Vision: Virgin Galactic is transforming access to space. We will provide affordable and safe launch opportunities for private individuals and research payloads via our human space flight system. Thanks to their innovative design, our vehicles are built to dramatically increase the frequency and safety of space flight. Our human spaceflight business aims to fly more people to space in its first few years of service than have been there through all of history. Our sister company, Virgin Orbit, will provide launch opportunities for new orbital technology via its small satellite launch service. Its launch vehicle will open up the space frontier to innovators of all sorts, from start-ups and schools to established space companies and national space agencies. By achieving these objectives, Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit will be playing their part in opening space to change the world for good. Human Spaceflight Experience: Passengers aboard Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo – the first commercial human spaceflight vehicle – will experience the unique thrills of spaceflight, enjoying the opportunity to leave their seats to float in zero gravity for several minutes. From an official space altitude, achieved on the flight test on th from13 Decembethe blackr sky 2018, of space.Virgin GalacticThree days astronauts of preparation will experience at New Mexico’s astounding Spaceport views o Americaf Earth prior to the flight will ensure a safe, enjoyable and unforgettable journey. The whole experience will be captured on film for each astronaut as a unique personal record of history in the making. Research/ Education Experience: SpaceShipTwo can also be configured to carry research payloads by replacing astronauts’ seats with mounting racks that can accommodate the leading payload container systems. Each flight can carry as much as 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) of payload into space in addition to an onboard Payload Engineer. This offers an unparalleled opportunity to conduct high-quality, affordable experiments. Many researchers are looking at SpaceShipTwo as an invaluable stepping stone on their way to orbital systems, while others are conducting unique research custom- designed for suborbital flight. NASA is already a customer, having chartered two flights on SpaceShipTwo through its Flight Opportunities Program. Small Satellite Launch: Virgin Galactic’s sister company Virgin Orbit will provide launch services for small satellites to Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with the LauncherOne vehicle. Traditionally, small satellites have been launched as secondary payloads, which constrains the satellite provider’s choice of launch characteristics. LauncherOne will allow small satellite providers with greater flexibility and responsiveness in selecting launch dates, locations and orbits that are optimized for their mission goals. Owners: : A Virgin-controlled entity owns approximately 59%. SCH’s public shareholders & SCH sponsors own approximately 40% of the currently outstanding stock and Boeing owns 1% of the Company. History: The Ansari XPRIZE called for private sector innovations in the field of manned space exploration. Specifically, participants had to design, build and fly a privately funded vehicle that could deliver the weight of three people (including one actual person) to space. The vehicle had to be at least 80 percent reusable and fly twice within a two-week period. Mojave Aerospace Ventures, a Paul G. Allen company, and Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites pursued the prize with Rutan-designed SpaceShipOne, an air-launched all-composite rocket ship. The Virgin Group sponsored both of SpaceShipOne’s XPRIZE winning flights, flown in September and October 2004 by pilots Mike Melville and Brian Binnie respectively. SpaceShipOne is now permanently displayed in the Milestones of Flight Gallery at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. With this success, the Virgin Group licensed Mojave Aerospace Ventures’ technology and invested in the development of a second-generation vehicle for commercial ventures. Virgin Galactic was born. Seeing private space travel as a reality, early adopters began making reservations for flights, providing vital and tangible proof of a readily available market at a commercially viable price. To date, more than 600 people from 60 nations around the world have secured reservations to fly on SpaceShipTwo. Vehicles: Virgin Galactic has developed two types of vehicles for suborbital operations, which were originally designed by Scaled Composites: SpaceShipTwo (SS2) – SS2 is a reusable spaceplane designed to carry two pilots and up to six passengers into suborbital space. It uses much of the same technology, construction techniques, and basic design of SpaceShipOne, but is much bigger. For example the cabin volume of SpaceShipTwo is almost six times that of SpaceShipOne. The first vehicle was unveiled in December 2009, and test flights began in March 2010. The second vehicle was unveiled in February 2016; its first flight (captive with its carrier aircraft) was in September 2016, its first free flight (operating as a crewed glider) was on 3rd December 2016, its first powered flight was on 5th April 2018, and its first flight to space altitude was on 13th December 2018 with its second spaceflight coming on 22nd February 2019 and its third on May 22nd 2021. VMS Eve – Eve is the carrier aircraft specifically designed for air launch of SS2. It is the largest 100-percent carbon composite carrier craft ever built and made its first flight in December 2008. Current Status Human Spaceflight: The VMS Eve test flight program is complete. The first SpaceShipTwo vehicle was at an advanced stage of testing when it was lost during its fourth powered test flight in October 2014. Following its February 2016 unveil, the second SpaceShipTwo vehicle completed its ground test program, and its flight test program has achieved space altitude, with a number of envelope expansion flights now to be completed. Virgin Galactic will officially launch operations from Spaceport America in New Mexico with paying passengers once it believes it is safe to do so and has received all regulatory approvals. The Gateway to Space, Spaceport America New Mexico: Virgin Galactic operates from The Gateway to Space building at Spaceport America. The Spaceport is located on 18,000 acres in the Jornada del Muerto desert basin. It is adjacent to White Sands Missile Range and resides under restricted air space with WSMR. Spaceport America includes vertical and horizontal launch complexes including a 12,000ft x 200ft runway. It is the first purpose built commercial spaceport in the world and to date has hosted 301 rocket launches, 12 of which have reached space. The Spaceport’s history began with the Southwest Space Task Force, which was formed in 1992, and the Office for Space Commercialization, which was created by the New Mexico Legislature in 1993 under Gov. Bruce King. In 2005, the New Mexico Legislature established the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA), which began its operations as a separate state government agency on July 1, 2006. NMSA was given responsibility to develop and operate Spaceport America. The Legislature appropriated most of the funding necessary to build the spaceport. The remainder of the funds were provided by a 0.25% spaceport gross receipts tax imposed on themselves by the voters of Doña Ana and Sierra Counties. In December of 2005, Gov. Bill Richardson and Sir Richard Branson announced that Virgin Galactic would locate its operations in New Mexico. The New Mexico Spaceport Authority began its operations as a separate State Government Agency on July 1, 2006. The first rocket launch at Spaceport America occurred on September 25, 2006. The first phase of Spaceport construction was completed in 2013. The FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation issued the license to the Spaceport Authority for vertical and horizontal launches from the Spaceport in December 2008, and a groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 19, 2009. The final cost to construct the Spaceport was $218.5 million, of which $142.1 million was allocated by the State of New Mexico and $76.4 million was generated by local spaceport gross receipt taxes. Operations: Virgin Galactic’s Mojave-based The Spaceship Company (TSC) now has the third and fourth spaceships in production as part of the fleet of vehicles on order for Virgin Galactic. Spaceport America (SA) – the State of New Mexico and the Counties of Doña Ana and Sierra funded the world’s first purpose-built spaceport complete with a 12,000- foot runway. Located some 47 miles north of Las Cruces, N.M., Spaceport America will serve as Virgin Galactic’s base of operations. Leadership: Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic George Whitesides, CSO of Virgin Galactic Mike Moses, President of Space Missions and Safety, Virgin Galactic Stephen Attenborough, Commercial Director for Virgin Galactic Michelle Kley, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Virgin Galactic Jon Campagna, Chief Financial Officer of Virgin Galactic Website: www.VirginGalactic.com. MEDIA CONTACT UK inquiries: [email protected] NON UK inquiries: [email protected] .