Virgin Galactic Successfully Launches First Commercial Spaceflight with Paying Customers

Virgin Galactic successfully completed its first commercial space tourism mission, flying a pair of Italian air force officers and an Italian engineer to the edge of space. The flight, commissioned by the Italian government, served as a training exercise and conducted science experiments. Unlike traditional rocket launches, Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, Unity, is tethered to a twin-fuselage airplane, which releases it at an altitude of about 45,000 feet. Unity then ignites its engine and ascends to an altitude of about 50 miles before returning to Earth. With this milestone achieved, Virgin Galactic aims to start flying its backlog of customers who have paid up to $450,000 per ticket. The flight comes amid ongoing debates about how to regulate commercial space adventures, as a prohibition on strict regulations imposed by Congress is set to expire.