The first commercial flight of Virgin Galactic Holdings is planned for the end of June, and the last test mission will take place this month.
Shares of Virgin Galactic Holdings jumped 4 percent immediately after the release of the official announcement, according to Dailymail. The company added that the May mission will be the last test of the spaceflight system with experienced astronauts, and then it will become available as a commercial service to any tourists wishing to go into space.
Billionaire Richard Branson’s company last year delayed commercial service plans until the first quarter of 2023 due to a supply chain crisis and labor shortages.
After completing the modernization of the central tourist spacecraft, Virgin Galactic has reopened ticket sales for the trip. The price of the flight per person will be $450,000 with a down payment of $150,000.
“Returning to space is something we’ve all been working towards,” said Mike Moses, president of space missions and safety at Virgin Galactic.
The crew of the last test “May” mission on board Unity25 will consist of Jamila Gilbert, Christopher Hugh, Luke Mays and Beth Moses, the source said.