A new Virgin Galactic flight, successfully completed this Thursday, set a series of records in the aerospace sector. Among them, who for the first time a mother and daughter shared a space adventure. In light of this, the Galactic 02 mission was described by the company as “a journey for the history books.”
The second commercial flight of the firm of Richard Branson sent to six people to suborbital space, who returned to Earth after a 60-minute journey. Among them there were four female members, a fact also unprecedented in history. how to collect SpaceIn 2010, four female astronauts were simultaneously in space, albeit on two different missions.
The protagonists of the new record achieved in the Galactic 02 mission of Virgin Galactic were Keisha Schahaff and her 18-year-old daughter, Anastatia Mayers, who is a student of philosophy and physics. Born in the Caribbean country of Antigua and Barbuda, Schahaff won both tickets in a contest organized by Virgin Galactic. Otherwise, she would have had to pay $450,000 for each seat on the ship.
A mother and her daughter in space, for the first time in history
“When I was two years old, looking at the sky, I thought how I could get there. Being from the Caribbean, I didn’t see how it would be possible,” Schahaff said before the Virgin Galactic flight. “The fact that I am here shows that space is really getting more accessible. I know my experience will change me and I look forward to sharing that energy and inspiring people around me,” she added.
From the company they reported another record in the Galactic 02 mission. As they indicated, Mayers became the youngest person to reach space. The record was previously held by Oliver Daemen, also 18, who in 2021 took part in a Blue Origin flight, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company.
Jon Goodwin, the first former Olympian in space
The new Virgin Galactic flight also launched the presence of a former Olympic athlete in space. That achievement now boasts Jon Goodwin80, who represented the United Kingdom at the 1972 Olympics.
“I have always enjoyed taking on new challenges,” said Goodwin, who was a crew member on the new Virgin Galactic flight. The British added this space adventure to a series of milestones that he achieved in his life, such as the notable Olympic participation and the occasion in which he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
In parallel, the Briton became the second person with Parkinson’s to travel into space. “When I was diagnosed in 2014, I was determined not to let it get in the way of living life to the fullest,” she noted. “Going into space with Parkinson’s is completely magical. I hope this inspires everyone else facing adversity and shows them that challenges don’t have to inhibit or stop them from pursuing their dreams,” he added.
The Galactic 02 mission crew was completed by pilots CJ Sturckow and Kelly Latimer. The sixth member was Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut instructor who trained Schahaff, Mayers and Goodwin.
The new Virgin Galactic flight: the details of the Galactic 02 mission
Founded in 2004 by tycoon Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic uses an air launch system, consisting of the space plane VSS Unity and a twin-fuselage “mothership” named VMS Eve. Together they reach an altitude of approximately 15,000 meters and there they part. Finally, Unity’s engine fires to ascend to suborbital space. On that journey, it travels at three times the speed of sound.
The plane reached a maximum altitude of 88.5 kilometers, experienced a few minutes of weightlessness and began to return to Earth. An hour after takeoff, the landing was made at the Spaceport America, in New Mexico, United States. As happened in the mission in which Branson himself participated, in 2021, the travelers flew until just before what is considered the border between space and Earth. That invisible limit, known as the Kármán lineis located about 100 kilometers above sea level.
According to the official statement, the company will now proceed with post-flight inspections and analysis, in preparation for the next commercial space mission, Galactic 03, planned for September.