Elite Traveler Summer 2022

SPONSORED

SPACE FOR THE CURIOUS WITH VIRGIN GALACTIC

space fl ight all of my life, from college to NASA to Virgin Galactic, and now being able to share the experience of space with people around the world is truly remarkable. I’ve always been a believer that seeing the Earth from space will change the world for the better, and after going twice there’s no doubt in my mind that it will. What can people expect on board a Virgin Galactic fl ight? During each Virgin Galactic space fl ight, you’ll experience weightlessness, breathtaking views of Earth and a life-changing transformation — all in unparalleled comfort. The 90-minute journey begins with a smooth runway takeo ff as our spaceship, attached to the mothership, ascends towards the skies. We utilize an air-launch system, which makes the journey to release altitude calm and enjoyable. Once at the release altitude of approximately 50,000 ft, the pilots call “3, 2, 1, release” and the spaceship is released from the mothership and rockets towards space, reaching speeds of up to three-and-a half times the speed of sound.

The world’s fi rst commercial spaceline, Virgin Galactic is on a mission to connect people across the globe through space travel; bringing them together through the shared sense of awe and wonder that comes as a result of seeing planet Earth from above. Chief astronaut instructor and the fi rst female to fl y to space on a commercially launched vehicle, Beth Moses is exactly who you would want by your side on your own journey to space. We spoke to her about her journey to where she is today, and what budding astronauts can expect from a Virgin Galactic fl ight. How did you get into this fi eld? I’ve always wanted to build and fl y spacecraft. Growing up, there was never a time that I wanted to do anything else, and I had this pivotal moment in my freshman year of high school that started my journey — I was reading a brochure about the backgrounds and quali fi cations of NASA astronauts and saw aerospace engineer listed as one. I had never seen the words ‘aerospace’ and ‘engineer’ together before, and it triggered something in me, and from that moment on I set out to follow that path. It might sound cliche, but I truly got to where I am today by following my childhood dream.

What excites you most about your job? Being able to bring space to so many people. I’ve been an aerospace engineer and worked in human