On Sunday, July 11, the New Mexico Tourism Department teams up with Virgin Galactic for that company’s first, fully crewed spaceflight.
New Mexico True will serve as the presenting partner for the “Unity 22” mission, the 22nd flight test for VSS Unity. This will be the first flight to carry a full crew of two pilots and four mission specialists in the cabin, including Virgin Galactic Founder Sir Richard Branson, who will be testing the private astronaut experience.
The spaceflight will be livestreamed to a global audience and will prominently feature New Mexico True throughout the experience. The livestream will be available to watch on VirginGalactic.com and will be simulcast on the Virgin Galactic Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook channels. The spaceflight is expected to begin at 7:00 a.m. MST.
According to industry estimates, the suborbital space tourism market could be worth $8 billion by 2030.
“We couldn’t be more excited to finally share this groundbreaking moment with the world,” Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “New Mexico has always been a hub for exploration, and the dawn of space tourism is happening right here.”
“An entirely new era for tourism begins here in New Mexico,” Tourism Secretary, Jen Paul Schroer, said. “We’re excited to share New Mexico’s rich history of space and science, along with our vast open spaces and dark skies with the world.”
“This is a huge moment for Spaceport America and for New Mexico. By investing in the aerospace industry, New Mexico continues to demonstrate its commitment to diversifying its economy,” Economic Development Secretary Alicia Keyes said.
