Virgin Galactic is elated to send its very first tourists passengers into the space. Here are all the points you need to know

Recently on Thursday, Virgin Galactic proudly rocketed its very first tourist passengers into space. This was actually the bright end of around 20 long years of commercial pursuit.

Keisha Schahaff, her daughter Anastasia Mayers, and Jon Goodwin were the three passengers who proudly swayed gravity-free with the help of the Virgin spacecraft around 45 minutes post taking off.

Sirisha Bandla, Virgin Galactic announcer expressed by saying, "They are officially astronauts", when the spacecraft rose to 80 kilometers in altitude. This is the level where the gravity of the planet is at its minimal level and the edge of the space is touched.

Knowing spaceflight better

The spaceflights of Virgin Galactic are all about a huge twin-fuselage carrier aircraft. This takes the flight through a runway. It then reaches some altitude and then drops a rocket-powered spaceplane. It is this spaceplane that then reaches high into space.

Just a few minutes after piercing into the space, the craft started to descend. It then managed a safe landing at the very same runway they took off from in New Mexico.

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Knowing the brave passengers

Starting from Keisha Schahaff, the lady is a health coach hailing from Antigua and Barbuda. She is 46 years old and is accompanied by her 18-year-old teenage daughter, Mayers.

The 18-year-old is studying philosophy and physics at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Here's how business tycoon Richard Branson expresses the proud moment.

Today we flew three incredible private passengers to space: Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers and Jon Goodwin. Congratulations @VirginGalactic commercial astronauts 011, 012 and 013 – welcome to the club! https://t.co/oJb9bw6ggk #Galactic02 pic.twitter.com/PVQoH9q7Js

— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) August 10, 2023

Finally,  Jon Goodwin is an adventurer. The 80-year-old man took part as a canoeist for Britain in the 1972 Olympic games. What added another feather in his hat is the fact that he has been the very first paying space tourist who made his way to winning the tickets through charity sweepstakes.

How were the tickets arranged?

The tickets were won by the three proud passengers through sweepstakes tickets. It managed to raise the amount of $1.7 million. This amount was raised for the non-profit Space for Humanity. The aim of the non-profit is to expand space access.

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