Company Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) announced the date of subsequent flight tests. If the system passes the techno test, and the meteorological situation will be appropriate, the flight can take place already 11 July. A turnaround countdown has been launched on the company's Internet resource: nine days left.
Flight details
Unity mission 22 will be the fourth manned flight and the first, when in the cockpit, not counting 2 pilots, there will be 4 passenger. Will fly into space: main cosmonaut instructor Beth Moses, Lead Engineer Colin Bennet and Deputy President for Country Relations and Research Sirisha Bandla. The fourth will be the founder of the organization, Richard Branson.
"I frankly believe, that space belongs to all of us. After sixteen years of research, development and testing Virgin Galactic is at the forefront of the new commercial space industry, which will open space for the population of the earth and change the world. It's one thing to dream about, to make space easily accessible to everyone. Another question is to make this dream come true together with a great team.. I am honored to be a part of the journey., which lies ahead for our future astronauts, also provide a unique customer experience, what people expect from Virgin", - said Branson.
One of the mission's tasks is to assess the convenience of the flight for future passengers.: interior quality, seats, weightlessness conditions and a view of the planet Earth from the cockpit of a spacecraft. Virgin Galactic promises to launch live Ethereum flight on your own website, also on youtube, Twitter and Facebook. The broadcast starts at 17:00 according to Moscow time.
Branson vs. Bezos
Branson's participation in the trials is an important image move, and that's why. 22 May Virgin Galactic completed the first of four remaining tests. Passengers were supposed to participate in the second, and in the third - Richard Branson. But the founder of the company suddenly decided to fly earlier. One of the possible reasons is Jeff Bezos' planned space flight at the end of July., founder Amazon and space company Blue Origin.
Blue Origin completed more than ten tests. The first flight with the participation of passengers is scheduled for 20 July. Four people will go into space, including Jeff Bezos and his brother.
Flying first, Bezos should have won a silent argument with Branson, and his company, Blue Origin, to lead the nascent space travel industry. In such a situation, Virgin Galactic shares could fall, considering their volatility and then, how they react to any news.
Акции Virgin Galactic
The company's shares traded at a maximum in February, on 63 $ per share. By mid-May, they fell to 77%, to 14 $, after that, how Virgin repeatedly postponed the next test date.
22 May successfully completed a test flight, and securities began to rise. 25 June, the Federal Aviation Administration allowed the company to carry passengers during the flight. Virgin shares rose to 57 $, and then they began to fall to 43 $. Bank of America contributed: bank analysts downgraded the company's rating and stated, that all future positive news is already priced in.
After the announcement of the next flight, Virgin Galactic securities on the postmarket are up by 27%, with 43 to 55 $. Taking into account the latest growth, the company's shares added 137% year to date.
