Las Cruces native announced as part of Virgin Galactic’s next space flight
SPACEPORT AMERICA, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Virgin Galactic is blasting off from southern New Mexico once again. The Unity 25 crew was just announced on twitter today.
Chief Astronaut Instructor Beth Moses, Instructor Luke Mays, and Mission Specialists Christopher Huie and Jamila Gilbert will all be on board.
Gilbert is a Las Cruces native. The company says Spaceport America is just one hour from her hometown. Virgin Galactic says she will be among the first 100 women to reach space. She has Purépechan-Mexican roots.
#VirginGalactic is returning to space in late May. Meet the #Unity25 crew → https://t.co/7gKH6db8gg pic.twitter.com/lbGhF6BJB8
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) May 8, 2023
The Unity 25 will serve as a test ahead of Virgin Galactic's first commercial flight, Galactic 01, planned for next month. The crew will conduct a final assessment for Virgin Galactic's spaceflight system and space tourist experience.
“Our mission specialists were selected for their diverse expertise, and they couldn’t be better suited to validate the astronaut training program and overall experience. After this flight we will begin flying our customers to space,” said Mike Moses, President of Spaceline Missions and Safety.
