Unity

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Human SpaceflightLEOLaunched 12/4/1998

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Mission & Launch

Launch Mission: ISS 2A (Unity)
Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle
Launch Date: 12/4/1998

Orbit & Mass

Orbit Class: LEO
Altitude: 393.5 km
Inclination: 51.59 deg
Dry Mass: 9,280 kg
Total Mass: 11,600 kg

Payload Classification

Mission Type

Mentions

197

All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.

Alan Stern will fly on Virgin Galactic’s Unity spacecraft on Thursday for his rookie spaceflight.

PlanGeneralValue 3.6Nov 1, 2023My suborbital life, part 6: Anticipation

Galactic 05's mission patch includes a legacy logo from SwRI, five stars, a stylized VG Unity spacecraft, and the names of Alan Stern and Dr. Dan Durda as mission investigators.

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On Sunday, October 29, the focus will be on final payload preparations and a first tour and practice of flight operations inside Virgin Galactic’s Unity trainer.

PlanCapabilityValue 2.4Oct 28, 2023My suborbital life, part 4: My research spaceflight training countdown to launch

Alan Stern and his crewmates will conduct further mission simulations with their research gear in the Unity cabin trainer on L-2 day.

PlanCapabilityValue 3.6Oct 28, 2023My suborbital life, part 4: My research spaceflight training countdown to launch

Training will also include in-cabin ascent, entry procedures, and timeline procedures runs in a high-fidelity cabin mockup of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.0Oct 23, 2023My suborbital life, part 2: Objectives, timeline, training

Alan Stern is scheduled to launch aboard Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity on a suborbital spaceflight next week.

PlanCapabilityValue 4.0Oct 23, 2023My suborbital life, part 1: Childhood’s end, perseverance pays

Virgin Galactic scheduled the VSS Unity Galactic 05 suborbital flight for a window that opens 2023-11-02, from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

PlanValue 4.0Oct 18, 2023Virgin Galactic to perform suborbital research flight in November

Virgin Galactic operates the VMS Eve mothership aircraft and the SpaceShipTwo Unity spaceplane to provide suborbital spaceflights for private astronaut customers from Spaceport America.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Oct 14, 2023Pathways to the Stars: Creating a talent pipeline in New Mexico

The 2023-10-06 flight was the fourth flight for VSS Unity since Virgin Galactic started commercial service in late 2023-06-01.

GeneralPlanValue 3.0Oct 6, 2023Virgin Galactic performs fourth commercial suborbital flight

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo vehicle VSS Unity took off from Spaceport America attached to its VMS Eve mothership at 11:28 a.m. Eastern on 2023-10-06.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.2Oct 6, 2023Virgin Galactic performs fourth commercial suborbital flight

VSS Unity released from VMS Eve at 12:10 p.m. Eastern on 2023-10-06.

PlanGeneralValue 2.0Oct 6, 2023Virgin Galactic performs fourth commercial suborbital flight

VSS Unity reached an apogee of 87.5 km on the 2023-10-06 flight.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Oct 6, 2023Virgin Galactic performs fourth commercial suborbital flight

Timothy Nash flew to the edge of space on September 8 in Virgin Galactic's suborbital spacecraft, VSS Unity.

CapabilityPlanGeneralValue 3.5Sep 25, 2023Honoring and dishonoring the dead in outer space

Virgin Galactic's latest flight of the VSS Unity spaceplane, Galactic 03, took place on September 8.

PlanGeneralValue 3.5Sep 11, 2023Putting the private into private spaceflight

VSS Unity separated from VMS Eve and reached a peak altitude of 88.6 km during the Galactic 03 flight.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.8Sep 8, 2023Virgin Galactic completes third commercial SpaceShipTwo flight

VSS Unity glided back to a runway landing at Spaceport America at 11:36 a.m. Eastern on 2023-09-08.

PlanValue 2.0Sep 8, 2023Virgin Galactic completes third commercial SpaceShipTwo flight

The pilots for 'Galactic 03' are VSS Unity Commander Nicola Pecile and VSS Unity Pilot Michael Masucci, with Astronaut Instructor Colin Bennett.

GeneralGovernanceValue 3.6Aug 30, 2023Forrester’s Digest: Virgin Galactic established their next sub-orbital launch date — plus Could Garmin be expanding their satellite SOS biz?

Virgin Galactic estimated near-term per-flight revenue of about $600,000 when flying three paying customers and one employee in Unity’s cabin.

FinancialValue 4.0Aug 10, 2023Virgin Galactic conducts first space tourist suborbital flight

VMS Eve and VSS Unity took off from Spaceport America in New Mexico at approximately 10:20 a.m. Eastern on 2023-08-10.

PlanGeneralValue 2.0Aug 10, 2023Virgin Galactic conducts first space tourist suborbital flight

VSS Unity reached a peak altitude of about 88.5 km on the 2023-08-10 flight.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Aug 10, 2023Virgin Galactic conducts first space tourist suborbital flight