Unity 22 Mission
Sirisha Bandla, an Indian-origin astronaut, will be taking care of the researcher experience on the Unity 22 mission, when a Virgin Galactic test flight travels to the edge of space.
About mission:
- Under this, the crew aboard the ‘Unity’ rocket vehicle will fly into distant space as a part of the ‘Unity 22’ mission, developed by ‘Virgin Galactic’. Be aware that this will be the 22nd mission of ‘VSS Unity’, and the fourth space flight of ‘Virgin Galactic’ with a crew.
- In this mission, a team of 2 pilots and 4 mission specialists, including Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, will be sent into space. Richard Branson, will personally receive the astronaut experience.
Mission Objectives:
- ‘Unity 22’ will focus on testing the cabin and customer experiences.
- Currently, two additional test flights will be launched into space before Virgin Galactic plans to begin commercial service in
Significance for India:
- Indian-origin astronaut ‘Sirisha Bandla’ will join the crew of ‘Unity 22’ mission.
- She will be the third woman of Indian origin to go into space after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams.
Specification of VSS Unity spacecraft:
- Virgin Galactic’s suborbital spacecraft was launched into the air from the bottom of a carrier aircraft called ‘White Knight Two’.
- This spacecraft can fly up to an altitude of about 90 At this distance, it is enough to give passengers a few minutes of weightlessness and a view of the Earth’s roundness from space.
Source – The Hindu
