The Galactic 04 spaceflight, with three passengers on board, including Pakistani Namira Salim, is scheduled for today's launch. Virgin Galactic recently announced a one-day delay, moving the space tourism mission to Friday, October 6, to ensure thorough vehicle preparations and checks. "We eagerly anticipate our skyward journey on Friday!" they shared on their X account.
Launch update: The #Galactic04 spaceflight will now take place on the second day of our flight window – Friday, October 6 to give our team an additional day to complete vehicle prep and checks. We look forward to taking to the skies in a few days!
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) October 1, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar extended his congratulations to Namira Salim, the first woman from Pakistan to venture into space. He commended Pakistani women for their trailblazing achievements across various domains, expressing his best wishes for her journey.
Good Luck Namira Salim @namirasalim.
— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) October 4, 2023
I wish you success when you’re ready to make history on 06 October by becoming the 1st 🇵🇰 woman to travel to space in the #Galactic04
By proving their mettle as trailblazers in multiple fields, 🇵🇰 women are making the whole nation proud
Namira Salim, a Pakistani polar explorer and artist, resides in Monaco and Dubai.
The other two travelers include British advertising executive Trevor Beattie and American astronomy educator Ron Rosano.
Virgin Galactic's carrier plane, VMS Eve, will be piloted by Pakistani-Canadian Jameel Janjua, along with Kelly Latimer and CJ Sturckow.
Galactic 04 will launch from Spaceport America in New Mexico, carrying passengers into suborbital space and back. In simpler terms, suborbital flight involves a brief journey into space where a spacecraft ascends but doesn't remain in space for an extended period. It briefly exits Earth's atmosphere and promptly returns. This allows passengers to experience weightlessness and witness space, but unlike orbital spaceflight, it doesn't orbit the Earth.
According to Space.com, Virgin's VSS Unity spaceplane will transport space tourists, carried into the sky by a carrier craft named VMS Eve. Eve will release Unity at an altitude of approximately 50,000 feet (15,000 meters), after which the spaceplane will activate its rocket motor to reach suborbital space.
"VSS Unity passengers have the opportunity to enjoy a few minutes of weightlessness and behold Earth against the backdrop of space. The current ticket price for a ride on the spaceplane is $450,000."
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