COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of the Dispatch & Grant McLaughlin

Aurora Flight Services, a subsidiary of Boeing, will soon begin aiding in the design and manufacture of a new aircraft for Virgin Galactic in its Columbus location near the GTR Airport. The craft will be used as a launch vehicle to assist with getting passenger spacecraft into orbit; Patrons will pay $450 thousand a pop for the experience. VG CEO Michael Colglazier said that, “Our next generation motherships are integral to scaling our operations . . . They will be faster to produce, easier to maintain and will allow us to fly substantially more missions each year” via a press release.

Their ultimate goal is to offer 400 such flights per year. The anticipated launch window for the flights using these “mothership” aircraft is in 2025. “This partnership between Aurora and Virgin Galactic brings together teams that share a passion for aerospace, innovation, and exploration,” Aurora president and CEO Per Beith said.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/2022-07-19/lowndes-facility-to-aid-in-launching-future-virgin-galactic-spaceships-into-orbit/