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July 03, 2023

Inaugural Virgin Galactic Commercial Mission Successful

Galactic 01 Safely Departs and Returns to Spaceport America

After 19 years, Virgin Galactic, the California-based spaceflight subsidiary of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, has actualized its founder’s ambition to transport paying passengers to the edge of space... though the short number of actual flights in the test program leaves many questioning the safety of the program. The historic, 29 June flight saw Virgin Mother-Ship (VMS) Eve, a four-engine, twin-fuselage, twin-empennage behemoth named for Evette Branson, Sir Richard’s mother, lumber skyward from Virgin Galactic’s New Mexico Spaceport America facility at 08:30 MDT.

New MOU to Lend ‘Alcohol-to-Jet SAF Brewing Tech to Airbus Methodology

A memorandum of understanding between Airbus and LanzaJet will result in the production of facilities using the latter’s “leading, proven, and proprietary Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology.” Airbus says the agreement will speed along the certification and adoption of 100% drop-in SAF, allowing increased output and lower carbon emissions from aviation sources around the world. ATJ tech uses lower=carbon ethanol as an initial feedstock for synthesis, cutting overall gas emissions by more than 70% over traditional petroleum jet fuels.