A group of Italian researchers reached the edge of space on Thursday, hours after taking off from the New Mexico desert on a quest to deliver Virgin Galactic’s mission of bringing commercial spaceflight to all.
Two members of the Italian Air Force and an engineer with the National Research Council of Italy are the first paying customers for the trip, termed “Galactic 01,”according to CNBC.
The researchers hope to conduct a series of microgravity experiments while they experience weightlessness,the Associated Press reports.
Virgin Galactic — the brainchild of British billionaireSir Richard Branson— will proceed with a second mission in August, per CNBC.
The company aims to fly its spacecraft, VSS Unity, once a month, the outlet reports.
The suborbital flights last a minimum of 90 minutes and reach 2,600 mph while transporting four passengers to the edge of space for incredible views, according to the program’swebsite.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
By midday Thursday, the spacecraft had begun gliding back to Earth to land, CNBC reported.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo in Flight.Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic has a backlog of about 800 people who have already purchased their tickets to experience space flight.
Initial tickets cost about $200,000 but recent prices are much higher, the company told PEOPLE last year.
However, the company’s mission has come under fire in the past due to safety concerns.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty
According toThe Guardian, Virgin Galactic investors are suing the company, alleging defects in the spacecraft have not been disclosed, which has led to ongoing delays.
source: people.com
