Virgin Galactic eyes possible expansion into Italy

Washington (AFP) – US space company Virgin Galactic announced Thursday it is exploring the possibility of opening a new base in Italy, potentially bringing suborbital flights to tourists in Europe for the first time.

Founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, the company is currently in a two-year hiatus to upgrade its fleet, following seven commercial flights to the edge of space from its US base at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Virgin Galactic said it had signed an agreement with Italy's ENAC civil aviation authority to study the feasibility of operating missions from Grottaglie Spaceport, located in the Puglia region of southern Italy.

"We are very thrilled at the prospect of Virgin Galactic customers looking out of their spaceship windows to witness firsthand the iconic boot of Italy from space," CEO Michael Colglazier said during an event at the Italian embassy in Washington.

Phase one of the study would be completed in 2025 to assess Grottaglie's airspace compatibility with Virgin Galactic's requirements and flight profile, said a news release.

"This work will lay the foundation for safe and sustainable commercial operation in Italy," added ENAC deputy director general Fabio Nicolai.

Mike Moses, a former NASA official who now oversees the company's commercial spaceflight program, indicated operations could commence four to five years from now.

Virgin Galactic was founded in 2004, sent its founder to space in 2021, and began full-fledged commercial operations two years later. The company competes in the suborbital space tourism market with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin.

A giant Virgin Galactic "mothership" takes off horizontally from a runway, gains altitude, then releases a smaller spaceplane from under its wings.

The spaceplane then rockets to the edge of the atmosphere, offering passengers a few minutes of weightlessness and a view of the Earth's curve, before gliding back to land.

Greater access to space

Virgin Galactic's first commercial flight in June 2023 featured members of the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy.

One of the passengers, an Italian Air Force officer, later flew aboard an Axiom Space mission in partnership with SpaceX to the International Space Station.

Beyond catering to wealthy individuals, the private space industry is increasingly enabling greater access to space for national governments.

Turkish and Swedish astronauts also flew on the same Axiom mission sponsored by their countries, and Britain is planning its own mission with the same company.

Europe currently has no capacity to launch crew from the continent, though Virgin Galactic missions carry the caveat that they fall just short of the Karman Line -- the internationally recognized boundary of space, 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth's surface.

Despite its advances, Virgin Galactic has been struggling to turn a profit, though its cash reserves remain strong, with $744 million as of September.

Its upcoming Delta spaceships will carry six passengers compared to the previous four. Seat prices will be set at $600,000 -- much higher than the earlier offerings -- the company said in documents, though these figures were published prior to the possible Italian venture.