Virgin Galactic Wants to Launch Rockets From Italy

Space tourism firm’s proposed operations would lift off from Grottaglie Spaceport in Southern Italy’s Puglia region.

Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 04:47 PM ET

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A team of researchers from Italy’s Air Force and National Research Council comprised the crew of Virgin Galactic’s first commercial mission. [Courtesy: Virgin Galactic]

Key Takeaways:

Virgin Galactic, currently in a two-year commercial hiatus to develop its new Delta-class spaceships, is pursuing international expansion for its space tourism operations.
The company has partnered with Italy's civil aviation regulator (ENAC) to study the feasibility of launching suborbital space tourism flights from Grottaglie Spaceport in Italy.
This collaboration will assess the technical, regulatory, and workforce requirements necessary to support frequent flights, aiming to resume commercial operations by 2026 and expand space travel globally.

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Space tourism company Virgin Galactic—in the middle of a two-year commercial hiatus as it develops its new and improved Delta-class spaceships—is eyeing an international expansion.

Virgin Galactic’s seven commercial flights with its VSS Unity spaceplane all launched from Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert, which serves as a hub for the firm’s U.S. operations. The first, Galactic 01, lifted off in June 2023 with a team of Italian researchers from the country’s Air Force and National Research Council.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.