Virgin Galactic is just one of the ventures of the Virgin Group, but it is one of the best-known ones.
According to an interview offered by a high-ranking employee, the project began 15 years ago, when he was hired for three months. Working with Richard Branson, the founder of the conglomerate, Mr. Attenborough decided to remain with the company,
He was inspired by how the Virgin Group was built as a power brand, present in several industries, and offering numerous products of services, in a true business manner.
Venturing into space
Many people want to visit space, but no commercial options have been available in the past, a fact which kept them on the ground. The potential of space tourism was obvious for the Virgin Group, who started to work early on the first versions of what is seen today as Virgin Galactic.
At this point, reaching space is still difficult, but commercial players could ease the progress and accelerate the development of new technologies. A quick look at statistics will show that out of more than 7 billion people who are present on Earth today only 573 went into space in the last six decades.
Virgin Galactic and other commercial players will offer people the chance to see space with their own eyes, paving the way to the formation of a new industry.
The company has already launched successful test flights, with a key member of staff being taken into space as the first civilian passenger. Virgin Galactic has also entered a period of transitions as it moves towards New Mexico, where the commercial operations will take place.
Hitting the stock market
In a surprise move, Virgin Galactic became the first human spaceflight company that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange as SPCE. It attracted a large number of investors, and the future of the venture appears to be quite bright.
As our second lead editor, Anna C. Mackinno provides guidance on the stories Great Lakes Ledger reporters cover. She has been instrumental in making sure the content on the site is clear and accurate for our readers. If you see a particularly clever title, you can likely thank Anna. Anna received a BA and and MA from Fordham University.