Virgin Galactic’s Second Commercial Flight for Space Tourism Will Fly Aboard 80-Year-Old Brit With Parkinson’s Disease

Virgin Galactic will be flying for the second time, and the mission will be seen as another test of how feasible space tourism is. Three passengers will board the flight, including an 80-year-old Brit with Parkinson's Disease.

Virgin Galactic's Second Commercial Flight

An 80-year-old former Olympian from the United Kingdom, an Aberdeen student, and her mother are scheduled to go into space from New Mexico in a rocket plane, BBC reported.

The Newcastle-under-Lyme resident Jon Goodwin will be the second person with Parkinson's disease to travel to space. A seat on a Virgin Galactic flight has been marketed for as much as $450,000 (£350,000). Mr. Goodwin, a canoeist who participated in the 1972 Olympics, purchased $250,000 for his ticket in 2005 but had feared that his condition would prevent him from attending.

He claimed he wanted to show that his illness, Parkinson's disease, which causes sections of the brain to deteriorate gradually, did not define him.

Anastatia Mayers and her mother, Keisha Schahaff, won tickets to the Virgin Galactic voyage in a contest. Schahaff learned she had won two spacecraft tickets in the drawing months later.

The second-youngest person to travel to space will be her daughter Anastatia, who says she wants to inspire others. She said it would be essential in Scotland, Antigua, and everywhere else she had ties. Her goal is to destroy any obstacles they or the society imprinted on themselves.

The trio was the first of almost 800 people who purchased tickets to ride the Unity rocket. Many others will still have a long wait since some have been waiting for their turn for over ten years.

The flight aims to reach the edge of space, 85 kilometers above Earth, where the passengers will experience weightlessness for a short while.

The spacecraft lacks the velocity necessary to complete a full orbit of the Earth.

At 08:30 local time (15:30 BST), the Virgin Galactic 02 flight's launch window opens. It is the company's second commercial flight. The first took place in June when scientists and members of the Italian Air Force conducted tests during a 70-minute trip.

A carrier aircraft called Eve is used to transport the rocket throughout the initial leg of its mission. It will travel to an altitude of 279,000 feet (85 kilometers).

ALSO READ: Virgin Galactic Will Make Final Assessment for Its First Commercial Flight by Launching Next Crewed Spaceflight This Month

What Is Space Tourism?

The term "space tourism" describes going into space for fun. It includes spaceflights that are sub-orbital, orbital, and even beyond Earth's orbit. It is also known as citizen space exploration, personal spaceflight, or commercial human spaceflight, per Revfine.

Even though space travel currently seems futuristic, it has a long history. However, only one business has successfully facilitated orbital space tourism- the Russian Space Agency. Seven space travelers were launched into orbit at the start of the 2000s.

In 2010, the Russian Space Agency stopped offering space tourism. Since then, several private businesses have explored space, leading to several proposals in this field.

Aside from Virgin Galactic, several other aerospace companies offer you the chance to fly to space, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Orion Span, Boeing, Space Adventures, and Zero 2 Infinity.