Galactic 01 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Galactic 01

VSS Unity in February 2016
Names	Galactic 01 (official) Virgin Galactic Unity 23 (former)
Mission type	Crewed suborbital spaceflight
Operator	Virgin Galactic
Apogee	85.1 km (52.9 mi)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	VSS Unity
Spacecraft type	SpaceShipTwo
Manufacturer	The Spaceship Company
Crew
Members	Michael Masucci Nicola Pecile Walter Villadei Angelo Landolfi Pantaleone Carlucci Colin Bennett
Start of mission
Launch date	29 June 2023 14:30:00 UTC
Launch site	Spaceport America Runway 34
Deployed from	VMS Eve
End of mission
Landing date	29 June 2023 15:42:28 UTC
Landing site	Spaceport America Runway 34
VSS Unity spaceflights ← Unity 25 Galactic 02 →

Galactic 01 was a special flight that went to the edge of space. It happened on June 29, 2023. This mission was important for science, especially for the Italian Air Force. It used a spacecraft called VSS Unity.

What Was Galactic 01?

Galactic 01 was a flight that traveled just to the edge of space and back. It was also known as Unity 23. The flight was a science mission for the Italian Air Force. It used a special type of spacecraft called VSS Unity, which is part of the SpaceShipTwo family. The mission was originally planned for 2021. But it was delayed so Virgin Galactic could make upgrades to their spacecraft.

Who Flew on Galactic 01?

Six people were on board Galactic 01. Two were pilots: Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. The other four were crew members: Colin Bennett, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, and Pantaleone Carlucci. Walter, Angelo, and Pantaleone were from Italy. Pantaleone was a researcher from the National Research Council of Italy.

Position	Crew
Commander	Michael Masucci Fourth spaceflight
Pilot	Nicola Pecile First spaceflight
Mission manager	Walter Villadei First spaceflight
Researcher	Pantaleone Carlucci First spaceflight
Doctor	Angelo Landolfi First spaceflight
Astronaut instructor	Colin Bennett Second spaceflight

What Experiments Were Done?

During the flight, the crew carried out several science experiments.

• Walter Villadei wore a special suit. This suit measured information about his body. It showed how his heart and breathing reacted to being in space.
• Angelo Landolfi did tests to see how being in space, where things float (called microgravity), affects how people think. He also studied how different materials mix together in space.
• Pantaleone Carlucci had sensors on him. These sensors watched his heart rate and other body signs during the flight.