The first passenger Galactic went to space (2 photos + 2 video)

Owned by Richard Branson US CompanyVirgin Galactic first sent into space a VSS Unity spacecraft of the SpaceShipTwo class, carrying a passenger. The expedition started on February 22 in the USA from a platform located in the California Mojava Desert. At an altitude of about 13.5 kilometers the spaceplane was released by a carrier aircraft. After that, he climbed 89.9 kilometers above the earth's surface and successfully returned back.

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On board were 2 pilots and a passenger - the mainastronaut instructor. There was also Beth Moses - the first woman pilot in the history of Virgin Galactic. She will be responsible for how they will prepare the next space tourists. During the flight, Moses tested the cockpit, checked what the conditions of a flight in space were from the passenger's point of view, and spent a few minutes in zero gravity.

As representatives of the Virgin Galactic andUS air force, the space border starts at an altitude of 80 - 90 kilometers. But according to the International Aviation Federation, flights into space begin, nevertheless, at an altitude of 100 kilometers. Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon, criticized the achievements of competitors. He said that the ship, created by his space company Blue Origin, reaches a height of 106 kilometers.

It is worth noting that in the finals last year, VirginGalactic tested VSS Unity, but without passengers. That time the ship reached a height of 82 kilometers. A flight for 2 hours to a suborbital altitude will most likely cost around $ 250,000.