Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. announced a new contract with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences to fly three research astronauts as part of a future crew aboard the Company's Delta Class spaceship. It will be the second research mission that IIAS has conducted with Virgin Galactic. It follows 'Galactic 05' in November 2023, which tested novel healthcare technologies and examined how fluids behave in low gravity to help inform designs for future medical technologies and life-support systems. The mission is anticipated to take place within the first year of Delta commercial service, which remains on track to commence in 2026.

The IIAS astronaut crew expected to participate in the research mission includes: Kellie Gerardi, a bioastronautics researcher and IIAS Director of Human Spaceflight Operations from the U.S. Gerardi previously flew as a payload specialist on the 'Galactic 05' research mission. Dr. Shawna Pandya, a physician, aquanaut, bioastronautics researcher, and Director of IIAS's Space Medicine Group, from Canada. Dr. Norah Patten, an aeronautical engineer and bioastronautics researcher from Ireland.

The mission is designed to enable IIAS to introduce new research while also expanding upon the results from 'Galactic 05,' during which astronaut Kellie Gerardi was able to successfully validate a fluid behavior theory within the high-quality microgravity conditions available through Virgin Galactic's unique flight system. The IIAS crew plans to fly additional fluid cells, with payload enhancements including upgrades to camera quality and accelerometer measurements. Virgin Galactic's Delta Class spaceships can be configured to fly either six mission specialists, or four specialists and two additional payload racks, depending on customer needs.

More information will be shared regarding further mission specialists and payloads joining the IIAS crew on this spaceflight as the manifest expands. Each Delta spaceship is currently estimated to be capable of flying up to eight space missions per month, which is twelve times the monthly capacity of the Company's original spaceship, VSS Unity. The new spaceship fleet is anticipated to dramatically increase repeatable and reliable access to the microgravity environment.