Virgin Galactic successfully carried out its first spaceflight in nearly two years Thursday, the company said, after an "enhancement period" to make safety upgrades to its fleet.

It was the fifth time the space tourism company brushed the boundary of space, and has been billed as the final test before commercial operations can begin in late June, with members of the Italian Air Force as the first paying customers.

"Touchdown, VSS Unity!" the company tweeted, referring to the name of the company's spaceplane. "Our crew and spaceship are back on Earth after landing smoothly at Spaceport America, New Mexico."

The mission "was a fantastic achievement for everyone at Virgin Galactic," added CEO Michael Colglazier, in a statement.

The Unity 25 mission flew four of the company employees to an altitude of just over 54 miles (87 kilometres) above sea level.

Virgin Galactic's space programme has suffered years of delays and a 2014 accident in which a pilot died.

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Unlike other companies that use vertical-launch rockets, Virgin Galactic uses a carrier aircraft with two pilots that takes off from a runway, gains high altitude, and drops a rocket-powered plane that soars into space at nearly Mach 3, before gliding back to Earth.

The total journey time is 90 minutes, with passengers experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness in the space plane's cabin.

Its first fully crewed flight in 2021 included the company's flamboyant founder, British billionaire Richard Branson.&nbsp;

But what had appeared to be a breakthrough moment for the company was marred by an official safety probe after the spaceplane was found to have dropped below its assigned airspace on its descent.

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The Federal Aviation Agency later cleared the company to resume activity after it promised corrective actions.

Virgin Galactic has sold 800 tickets for future commercial flights -- 600 between 2005 and 2014 for $200,000 to $250,000, and 200 since then for $450,000 each.

It competes in the "suborbital" space tourism sector with billionaire Jeff Bezos' company, Blue Origin, which has already sent 32 people into space.&nbsp;

But since an accident in September 2022 during an unmanned flight, Blue Origin's rocket has been grounded. In March, the company promised to resume spaceflight soon.

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Virgin Galactic successfully carried out its first spaceflight in nearly two years Thursday, the company said, after an "enhancement period" to make safety upgrades to its fleet.

Virgin Galactic successfully carried out its first spaceflight in nearly two years Thursday, the company said, after an "enhancement period" to make safety upgrades to its fleet. It was the fifth time the space tourism company brushed the boundary of space, and has been billed as the final test before commercial operations can begin in late June, with members of the Italian Air Force as the first paying customers. "Touchdown, VSS Unity!" the company tweeted, referring to the name of the company's spaceplane. "Our crew and spaceship are back on Earth after landing smoothly at Spaceport America, New Mexico." The mission "was a fantastic achievement for everyone at Virgin Galactic," added CEO Michael Colglazier, in a statement. The Unity 25 mission flew four of the company employees to an altitude of just over 54 miles (87 kilometres) above sea level. Virgin Galactic's space programme has suffered years of delays and a 2014 accident in which a pilot died. Also Read | Sunspot four times bigger than earth is visible right now. Here's how you can see it Unlike other companies that use vertical-launch rockets, Virgin Galactic uses a carrier aircraft with two pilots that takes off from a runway, gains high altitude, and drops a rocket-powered plane that soars into space at nearly Mach 3, before gliding back to Earth. The total journey time is 90 minutes, with passengers experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness in the space plane's cabin. Its first fully crewed flight in 2021 included the company's flamboyant founder, British billionaire Richard Branson. But what had appeared to be a breakthrough moment for the company was marred by an official safety probe after the spaceplane was found to have dropped below its assigned airspace on its descent. Also Read | NASA spacecraft discovers how Jupiter's lightning shares similarity with Earth's The Federal Aviation Agency later cleared the company to resume activity after it promised corrective actions. Virgin Galactic has sold 800 tickets for future commercial flights -- 600 between 2005 and 2014 for $200,000 to $250,000, and 200 since then for $450,000 each. It competes in the "suborbital" space tourism sector with billionaire Jeff Bezos' company, Blue Origin, which has already sent 32 people into space. But since an accident in September 2022 during an unmanned flight, Blue Origin's rocket has been grounded. In March, the company promised to resume spaceflight soon. WATCH WION LIVE HERE × You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Virgin Galactic resumes spaceflights successfully after two-year pause for safety upgrade

In a big setback for Virgin Galactic, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded the company from flying its SpaceShipTwo over a pending mishap probe.

It comes after the Virgin Galactic rocket plane deviated from its route during its historic flight due to which its console had flashed a 'red light' or 'entry glide-cone' warning.

Experts believe that warning light goes on when the spaceship is descending at the wrong angle. Such a&nbsp;situation&nbsp;can lead to an emergency landing as well.

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The FAA had said that ''Virgin Galactic may not return the SpaceShipTwo vehicle to flight until the FAA approves the final mishap investigation report or determines the issues related to the mishap do not affect public safety.''

Virgin Galactic is addressing the causes of the issue and determining how to prevent this from occurring on future missions.

It added that the deviation in the July flight known as Unity 22 was "a controlled and intentional flight path that allowed Unity 22 to successfully reach space and land safely at our Spaceport in New Mexico. At no time were passengers and crew put in any danger."

Two skilled pilots of the company were flying the spacecraft and were able to handle the frightening situation and bring back the passengers onborad safely back to the ground.

Virgic Galactic's founder Richard Branson was accompanied by five other people on the VSS Unity 22 historic space flight.

He had touted the mission as a precursor to a new era of space tourism and said the company he founded in 2004 was poised to begin commercial operations next year.

The American spaceflight company had announced said earlier that it was planning another SpaceShipTwo flight from New Mexico.

In a big setback for Virgin Galactic, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded the company from flying its SpaceShipTwo over a pending mishap probe.

In a big setback for Virgin Galactic, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has grounded the company from flying its SpaceShipTwo over a pending mishap probe. It comes after the Virgin Galactic rocket plane deviated from its route during its historic flight due to which its console had flashed a 'red light' or 'entry glide-cone' warning. Experts believe that warning light goes on when the spaceship is descending at the wrong angle. Such a situation can lead to an emergency landing as well. The FAA had said that ''Virgin Galactic may not return the SpaceShipTwo vehicle to flight until the FAA approves the final mishap investigation report or determines the issues related to the mishap do not affect public safety.'' Virgin Galactic is addressing the causes of the issue and determining how to prevent this from occurring on future missions. It added that the deviation in the July flight known as Unity 22 was "a controlled and intentional flight path that allowed Unity 22 to successfully reach space and land safely at our Spaceport in New Mexico. At no time were passengers and crew put in any danger." Two skilled pilots of the company were flying the spacecraft and were able to handle the frightening situation and bring back the passengers onborad safely back to the ground. Virgic Galactic's founder Richard Branson was accompanied by five other people on the VSS Unity 22 historic space flight. He had touted the mission as a precursor to a new era of space tourism and said the company he founded in 2004 was poised to begin commercial operations next year. The American spaceflight company had announced said earlier that it was planning another SpaceShipTwo flight from New Mexico.

US bars flights of Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic over pending mishap probe

Virgin Galactic recently created history by flying its first ever executive jet to the space. However, months after his trip, the Federal Aviation Administration in investigation a route deviation.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is conducting an investigation about a deviation during the descent of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane.

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Branson’s space rocket "deviated from its Air Traffic Control clearance as it returned to Spaceport America. The FAA investigation is ongoing," an FAA spokesperson told news agency Reuters.

As per initial reports in the New Yorkers, the space rocket few outside the designated airspace for one minute and 41 seconds, and failed to notify the FAA.

One of the most worrying things however was that the pilot, reportedly, noticed a red light flashing on the ship console, that indicated an 'entry glide-cone warning'. As per the experts, this warning light refers to the cone-shaped trajectory that goes on when the VSS Unity is not descending at the correct angle. In such a situation, it slips outside of the cone and the set airspace, which can lead to an emergency landing. This situation could have also ended with the VSS Unity colliding with some other aircraft.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/space-race-for-billionaires-richard-branson-to-make-space-trip-before-rival-jeff-bezos-395263">Space race for billionaires: Richard Branson to make space trip before rival Jeff Bezos</a>

The craft was being flown by two skilled pilots of the company, who were able to handle the frightening situation and bring back the passengers onboard safely back to the ground.

Richard Branson was accompanied by Dave Mackay, chief pilot, Michael Masucci, pilot, Sirisha Bandla, vice-president of government affairs and research operations, Colin Bennett, lead operations engineer, and Beth Moses, chief astronaut instructor.

The spaceship flew to an altitude of 55 miles before the pilots cut the engines, giving the passengers a chance to experience weightlessness and observe the Earth’s curvature through the windows.

Virgin Galactic recently created history by flying its first ever executive jet to the space. However, months after his trip, the Federal Aviation Administration in investigation a route deviation.

Virgin Galactic recently created history by flying its first ever executive jet to the space. However, months after his trip, the Federal Aviation Administration in investigation a route deviation. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is conducting an investigation about a deviation during the descent of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane. Also read | ‘Aim for stars’: Richard Branson's journey from record store to space trip Branson’s space rocket "deviated from its Air Traffic Control clearance as it returned to Spaceport America. The FAA investigation is ongoing," an FAA spokesperson told news agency Reuters. As per initial reports in the New Yorkers, the space rocket few outside the designated airspace for one minute and 41 seconds, and failed to notify the FAA. One of the most worrying things however was that the pilot, reportedly, noticed a red light flashing on the ship console, that indicated an 'entry glide-cone warning'. As per the experts, this warning light refers to the cone-shaped trajectory that goes on when the VSS Unity is not descending at the correct angle. In such a situation, it slips outside of the cone and the set airspace, which can lead to an emergency landing. This situation could have also ended with the VSS Unity colliding with some other aircraft. Also read | Space race for billionaires: Richard Branson to make space trip before rival Jeff Bezos The craft was being flown by two skilled pilots of the company, who were able to handle the frightening situation and bring back the passengers onboard safely back to the ground. Richard Branson was accompanied by Dave Mackay, chief pilot, Michael Masucci, pilot, Sirisha Bandla, vice-president of government affairs and research operations, Colin Bennett, lead operations engineer, and Beth Moses, chief astronaut instructor. The spaceship flew to an altitude of 55 miles before the pilots cut the engines, giving the passengers a chance to experience weightlessness and observe the Earth’s curvature through the windows.

Pilots of Richard Branson's spaceflight saw a 'red light' warning during historic trip: Reports

Sirisha Bandla has become&nbsp;the second India-born, third Indian-American and third Indian-origin woman to go in space.&nbsp;Ahead of her journey as part of the billionaire Richard Branson's team, her grandfather said that he is "overwhelmed with joy".

On July 11, Sirisha Bandla, 33, a native of Guntur district of India's southern Andhra Pradesh state, became a part of a test flight on Virgin Galactic's spacecraft that was the first fully crewed spacecraft to travel beyond the atmosphere of our planet.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/third-indian-origin-woman-sirisha-bandla-set-to-fly-to-space-395551">Third Indian-origin woman, Sirisha Bandla, set to fly to space</a>

As the race to usher in a new era of commercial space travel begins to heat up, a successful flight by&nbsp;British billionaire Richard Branson&nbsp;aboard Virgin's VSS Unity spaceplane became a pivotal moment in the field of space travel.

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Welcome Sirisha Bandla, Colin Bennett, and Beth Moses — our expert crew members joining <a href="https://twitter.com/richardbranson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@richardbranson</a> on our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Unity22?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Unity22</a> test flight. Watch LIVE this Sunday at <a href="https://t.co/5UalYT7Hjb">https://t.co/5UalYT7Hjb</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/SirishaBandla?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SirishaBandla</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/VGChiefTrainer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VGChiefTrainer</a> <a href="https://t.co/F4ZrGnH3vo">pic.twitter.com/F4ZrGnH3vo</a>
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) <a href="https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1412126160008335363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Brandon's mission represents the company's 22nd flying test of VSS Unity, and its fourth manned mission.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/richard-branson-virgin-galactic-spaceflight-where-to-watch-the-launch-live-397416">Richard Branson Virgin Galactic spaceflight: Where to watch the launch LIVE</a>

Following her interest in space, Bandla joined Virgin Galactic in 2015 after completing her studies.

A part of Unity22's amazing crew and as a part of a company dedicated to making space accessible to all, Bandla said in a tweet that she is "honored to be a part of the amazing crew."

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I am so incredibly honored to be a part of the amazing crew of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Unity22?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Unity22</a>, and to be a part of a company whose mission is to make space available to all. <a href="https://t.co/sPrYy1styc">https://t.co/sPrYy1styc</a>
— Sirisha Bandla (@SirishaBandla) <a href="https://twitter.com/SirishaBandla/status/1410946704875130882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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She had always been fascinated by space, according to her grandfather, Dr Ragaiah, a retired scientist.

He said she was very much intrigued by the sky and the unknown.&nbsp;"Looking at the sky and space", she was always fascinated about discovering what exists there.

Before the flight, he said,&nbsp;"I am very happy and overwhelmed with joy. My second granddaughter, she is going to space."

In 2003, Kalpana Chawla, the only female astronaut born in India, died in an accident on board the Columbia Space Shuttle.&nbsp;

Sirisha Bandla has become the second India-born, third Indian-American and third Indian-origin woman to go in space. Ahead of her journey as part of the billionaire Richard Branson's team, her grandfather said that he is "overwhelmed with joy".

Sirisha Bandla has become the second India-born, third Indian-American and third Indian-origin woman to go in space. Ahead of her journey as part of the billionaire Richard Branson's team, her grandfather said that he is "overwhelmed with joy". On July 11, Sirisha Bandla, 33, a native of Guntur district of India's southern Andhra Pradesh state, became a part of a test flight on Virgin Galactic's spacecraft that was the first fully crewed spacecraft to travel beyond the atmosphere of our planet. Also read | Third Indian-origin woman, Sirisha Bandla, set to fly to space As the race to usher in a new era of commercial space travel begins to heat up, a successful flight by British billionaire Richard Branson aboard Virgin's VSS Unity spaceplane became a pivotal moment in the field of space travel. Welcome Sirisha Bandla, Colin Bennett, and Beth Moses — our expert crew members joining @richardbranson on our #Unity22 test flight. Watch LIVE this Sunday at https://t.co/5UalYT7Hjb. @SirishaBandla @VGChiefTrainer pic.twitter.com/F4ZrGnH3vo — Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) July 5, 2021 × Brandon's mission represents the company's 22nd flying test of VSS Unity, and its fourth manned mission. Also read | Richard Branson Virgin Galactic spaceflight: Where to watch the launch LIVE Following her interest in space, Bandla joined Virgin Galactic in 2015 after completing her studies. A part of Unity22's amazing crew and as a part of a company dedicated to making space accessible to all, Bandla said in a tweet that she is "honored to be a part of the amazing crew." I am so incredibly honored to be a part of the amazing crew of #Unity22, and to be a part of a company whose mission is to make space available to all. https://t.co/sPrYy1styc — Sirisha Bandla (@SirishaBandla) July 2, 2021 × She had always been fascinated by space, according to her grandfather, Dr Ragaiah, a retired scientist. He said she was very much intrigued by the sky and the unknown. "Looking at the sky and space", she was always fascinated about discovering what exists there. Before the flight, he said, "I am very happy and overwhelmed with joy. My second granddaughter, she is going to space." In 2003, Kalpana Chawla, the only female astronaut born in India, died in an accident on board the Columbia Space Shuttle.

Sirisha Bandla's family reacts to her becoming the second India -born woman in space

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Virgin Galactic resumes spaceflights successfully after two-year pause for safety upgrade

US bars flights of Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic over pending mishap probe

Pilots of Richard Branson's spaceflight saw a 'red light' warning during historic trip: Reports

Sirisha Bandla's family reacts to her becoming the second India -born woman in space