Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity set for powered test flight ahead of space tourism launch.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity is set to make its first powered flight since the Unity 22 mission in July 2021. The Unity 25 mission will have a full crew complement of six, including two pilots and four Virgin Galactic employees who will test out the customer experience prior to the beginning of commercial operations. The spacecraft is scheduled to take off from the Spaceport America complex near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, and will climb to an altitude of over 80 kilometers, which is at the edge of space. If Unity 25 goes as planned, the next flight will start the company’s commercial research service with the long-delayed Italian Air Force flight.