{"id":18449,"date":"2018-07-06T20:49:35","date_gmt":"2018-07-06T12:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/virgin-galactic-signs-onto-a-deal-to-bring-spaceflights-to-future-spaceport-in-italy\/"},"modified":"2018-07-06T20:49:35","modified_gmt":"2018-07-06T12:49:35","slug":"virgin-galactic-signs-onto-a-deal-to-bring-spaceflights-to-future-spaceport-in-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/virgin-galactic-signs-onto-a-deal-to-bring-spaceflights-to-future-spaceport-in-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Virgin Galactic signs onto a deal to bring spaceflights to future spaceport in Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_432216\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-432216\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-432216\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-ss1-630x354.jpg\" alt=\"SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo\" width=\"630\" height=\"354\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-ss1-630x354.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-ss1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-ss1-1260x709.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-ss1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-432216\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Virgin Galactic\u2019s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, known as VSS Unity, is hooked onto its WhiteKnightTwo carrier airplane at Mojave Air and Space Port in California. (Virgin Galactic Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Virgin Galactic and a pair of Italian companies today signed a framework agreement aimed at bringing Virgin Galactic\u2019s launch system to a future spaceport in the heel of Italy\u2019s \u201cboot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The suborbital space launch system would be based at Taranto-Grottaglie Airport, which Italian public-private partners aim to turn into a spaceport.<\/p>\n<p>Although the companies didn\u2019t announce a time frame for the start of operations, one of the executives involved said in May that the spaceport \u201ccould be active as early as 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Virgin Galactic\u2019s partners include Altec, a public-private company owned by the Italian Space Agency and Thales Alenia Space; and Sitael, Italy\u2019s largest privately owned space company.<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s agreement was signed in Grottaglie by Sitael CEO Nicola Zaccheo, Altec CEO Vincenzo Giorgio and Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides. Witnesses included the head of the Italian Space Agency, Roberto Battiston; and the Virgin Group\u2019s billionaire founder, Richard Branson.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_432156\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-432156\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-432156\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180705-virgin-300x250.jpg\" alt=\"Taranto-Grottaglie Airport\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180705-virgin-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180705-virgin.jpg 521w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-432156\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taranto-Grottaglie Airport is in the \u201cheel\u201d of Italy\u2019s boot. (Google Maps)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThis partnership could see Virgin Galactic launch the first person in history into space from Italian soil&nbsp;\u2014 and in fact from any European territory,\u201d Branson said in a news release.<\/p>\n<p>The agreement calls for Virgin Galactic\u2019s sister manufacturing venture, The Spaceship Company, to build a dedicated space vehicle system that would be positioned at the future Grottaglie Spaceport. The system would integrate technological and industrial contributions from Sitael and other Italian aerospace companies, pending regulatory approvals.<\/p>\n<p>Virgin Galactic is currently conducting rocket-powered tests of its SpaceShipTwo plane, which is dropped from a WhiteKnightTwo carrier plane for midflight launch. The tests at California\u2019s Mojave Air and Space Port are leading up to flights to the edge of space, and eventually to commercial operations at Spaceport America in New Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>More than 600 customers have reserved seats for suborbital space trips, at a cost of up to $250,000 each. If Virgin Galactic\u2019s test program proceeds smoothly, passenger flights could begin as early as next year.<\/p>\n<p>The Grottaglie operation would presumably make use of SpaceShipTwo technology, with some Italian twists added. Virgin Galactic\u2019s agreement calls for the launch system to serve as a platform for high-frequency space research flights as well as recreational tours.<\/p>\n<p>In a tweet, Whitesides said Virgin Galactic could someday offer trips on rocket ships between the spaceports in Italy and New Mexico:<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1015276488524992512&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2018%2Fvirgin-galactic-signs-onto-deal-bring-spaceflights-future-spaceport-italy%2F&amp;sessionId=f39fb0c8a373ef678425c7a48c02a83082cc5ef0&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1015276488524992512\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782802863446133097=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">With @Spaceport_NM as our headquarters, we welcome ways to expand spaceflight. Our new Italian partners can expand our spaceline service for science &amp; future astronauts globally, and with New Mexico may serve someday as a future link for high speed, intercontinental travel!<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 George Whitesides (@gtwhitesides) July 6, 2018<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In concert with the Virgin Galactic deal, executives from Virgin Orbit and Sitael signed an agreement calling for further collaboration on orbital launches and investments in future launch systems.<\/p>\n<p>Virgin Orbit is gearing up for flight tests of its air-launched, two-stage LauncherOne rocket and is expected to start delivering commercial payloads to orbit by the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p>Sitael already has a deal with Virgin Orbit to launch&nbsp;\u03bcHETsat (\u201cMicro-Het-Sat\u201d), a satellite that\u2019s designed to demonstrate electric propulsion technology with backing from the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency.<\/p>\n<p>The newly signed memorandum of understanding opens the way for Virgin Orbit and Sitael to study the feasibility of launching such satellites from Italy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith this agreement, Sitael reinforces its position as one of the main players of the New Space Economy,\u201d Sitael\u2019s Zaccheo said in a news release.<\/p>\n<p>Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart noted that the advantages of air-launch systems \u201care proving to be extremely appealing to the global community of small satellite operators.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe opportunity to help fantastic companies like Sitael reach space on their terms and their schedule is exactly what we were created to do,\u201d Hart said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_432228\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-432228\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-432228\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-virgin-630x374.png\" alt=\"Italian and Virgin representatives sign agreements\" width=\"630\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-virgin-630x374.png 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-virgin-768x456.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-virgin-1260x748.png 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/180706-virgin.png 1499w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-432228\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Representatives from the Virgin space companies, leading Italian aerospace firms and the Italian government gather to celebrate newly signed agreements. From left: Altec CEO Vincenzo Giorgio; Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart; George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company; Michele Emiliano, governor of the Puglia Region; Barbara Lezzi, Italian minister for the South; Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group; Vito Pertosa, founder of Angel Group; Roberto Battiston, president of the Italian Space Agency; and Sitael CEO Nicola Zaccheo. (Sitael Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Virgin Galactic\u2019s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, known as VSS Unity, is hooked onto its WhiteKnightTwo carrier airplane at Mojave Air and Space Port in California. (Virgin Galactic Photo) Virgin Galactic and a pair of Italian companies today signed a framework agreement aimed at bringing Virgin Galactic\u2019s launch system to a future spaceport in the heel of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5213,2188,1693,493,492,1551],"class_list":["post-18449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-grottaglie-spaceport","tag-italy","tag-richard-branson","tag-space-tourism","tag-virgin-galactic","tag-virgin-orbit"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18449"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18449\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}