Space company Virgin Galactic took paying customers on a flight into space for the first time on Thursday. On board were three Italians who did research and took the Italian flag at the highest point. Is it safe? “As a passenger, you do have a problem in the event of an emergency.”
The rocket, which hung under an airplane, took off from the Spaceport America airport in the US state of New Mexico. The missile disconnected from the aircraft at an altitude of nearly 14 kilometers and then shot further into the air. The occupants were weightless for several minutes and then took out their national flags. The plane then returned to Earth.
Virgin Galactic, a project of British businessman Richard Branson, was in a phase of test flights for some twenty years. The company is in competition with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. They also offer trips. Blue Origin has already sent 31 people into space since July 2021. The then 18-year-old Dutchman Oliver Daemen even accompanied the Amazon boss on the first flight. Passengers pay considerably more at Bezos, sometimes millions of dollars per ticket. Elon Musk even charges more than 50 million dollars. Travelers do get more for their money: the trip lasts significantly longer and they are placed in a real orbit around the earth.
The flight is closely monitored from the ground. © Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters
Virgin Galactic stated ahead of Thursday’s launch that a successful flight would pave the way for another flight in August and monthly flights thereafter. About eight hundred people are said to have already booked a flight with the company. They would have paid between 230,000 and 415,000 euros per seat.
Risks: ‘accept any danger’
The risks of space travel are relatively high. Travelers must therefore fill out a form at Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin that they ‘will accept any danger’. What will not reassure them is that the US Congress has imposed a moratorium on human commercial space travel regulations. It means that Virgin Galactic does not have to comply with current safety regulations. At the same time, the companies know that space tourism must be safer than safe. “When real astronauts die, it happens for the greater honor and glory of the nation and science,” says Flemish space expert Stijn Ilsen. “That excuse does not apply to ordinary passengers.”
Submarine Titan
Space X and Blue Origin are more reliable on paper, Ilsen believes. Both work closely with the American NASA. “Their missiles are super safe and have all kinds of back-up systems. If things go wrong, the capsule with passengers is shot away, after which it lands on earth with parachutes.” Virgin Galactic does not have NASA or a reputable company behind it. “I don’t want to compare it too much with submarine Titan, but in the event of a calamity you do have a problem as a passenger.” Ilsen doesn’t want to come across as too negative. “Virgin’s missile technology dates back to the 1960s and has more than proven itself. They also tested extensively.” Whether Ilsen would step in herself? “Let them make a good number of flights first.”
Virgin @Virgin
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2023-06-29 18:14:40
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