Virgin Galactic showcases SpaceShipTwo’s interior for space tourism

Virgin Galactic has unveiled the interior of the SpaceShipTwo Unity spacecraft. The intention is that tourists will be flown to an altitude of about 100 kilometers, so that they can experience weightlessness and see the curvature of the earth.

Richard Branson’s company showed for the first time on Tuesday how passengers will experience the journey. The VSS Unity, the spacecraft where the tourists will take place, has room for six passengers. They all get a seat at a window, but at the highest point of the flight the space tourists are allowed to leave their seats to experience weightlessness and to look out the other windows.

VSS Unity features twelve round windows with a soft edge, which passengers can grab onto. The back of the cabin features a mirror so travelers can see themselves floating. Cameras don’t have to carry passengers, says Virgin Galactic; the device is equipped with sixteen cameras that record everything inside and outside for posterity.

The interior also has walls covered with soft foam. That is sound-absorbing and makes moving in the cabin comfortable, according to Virgin Galactic. At the back of each seat is a screen with flight data; it shows information about speed and g-forces.

Virgin Galactic wants to offer commercial sub-orbital flights to the edge of space with VSS Unity. At an altitude of about 100 kilometers, the curvature of the earth can be seen, weightlessness can be experienced and participants can look into dark space. The cabin can also be set up for scientific experiments, the company says.

SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity will be brought to an altitude of about 15km with a larger aircraft, called WhiteKnightTwo. At that height, VSS Unity is disconnected and the rocket motor is turned on to reach the edge of space.

It is not yet clear when the first commercial flights will actually take place. Virgin Galactic has successfully completed multiple tests and said earlier this year that it plans to start flights in 2020. There are now more than six hundred interested parties, according to the company. Flying along costs more than 200,000 euros.