Virgin Galactic Successfully Launches Researchers on Fifth Commercial Suborbital Flight

Veteran space scientist Alan Stern, along with two others, participate in microgravity research and data collection on Virgin Galactic's Fifth commercial suborbital flight amidst ongoing space tourism competition with Blue Origin.

• In a milestone launch, Virgin Galactic successfully conducted its fifth commercial suborbital flight carrying researchers to observe microgravity and collect necessary data. Notably, Alan Stern, a veteran space scientist who headed NASA's mission to Pluto, was also onboard.
• The recent launch advances Virgin Galactic in the ongoing competition with Blue Origin in the space tourism industry, especially as Blue Origin is still grounded following a rocket failure 14 months prior.
• These commercial suborbital flights offer access to microgravity and space at a much-reduced cost than an orbital flight, making it affordable for universities and scientific institutions aiming to do space-based research within a tight budget.
• The spacecraft, SpaceShipTwo rocketplane, carried three company employees and three passengers to the altitude of 54.2 miles before coasting back to Earth, marking the tenth trip to space for the company overall.
• Virgin Galactic plans to pause the launches for a few months in order to conduct routine annual vehicle inspections and will resume its next suborbital mission in January.

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