Tag: Virgin

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Virgin transatlantic flight to make history using 100% green fuels

Virgin 100% biofuel transatlantic flight

The first transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is scheduled to take off on Tuesday, 28th November 2023. 

UK Government funded project

The flight is operated by Virgin Atlantic and will fly from London’s Heathrow to New York’s JFK airport. The flight is part of a UK government-funded project to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of using SAF as an alternative to conventional jet fuel. SAF can reduce carbon emissions by over 70% compared to fossil jet fuel. 

The flight will also use biochar credits to offset any remaining emissions and achieve net zero.

Biochar is the lightweight black residue, made of carbon and ashes, remaining after the pyrolysis of biomass, and is a form of charcoal.

Support

The flight is supported by a consortium of companies, including Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BP, Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, Rocky Mountain Institute, and ICF. The transatlantic flight has received a permit to fly from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, after undergoing technical assessments and ground testing. 

The flight will use a Boeing 787 Dreamliner powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The SAF used will be made primarily from waste oils and fats, such as used cooking oil.

The flight is expected to be a historic milestone for the aviation industry, as it will showcase the potential of SAF to decarbonise aviation and create a greener future. SAF could also create a UK industry with an annual turnover of £2.4 billion by 2040 and support up to 5,200 UK jobs by 2035.

First transatlantic flight to use 100% SAF

The flight is not the first transatlantic flight to use SAF, but it is the first to use 100% SAF. In 2019, Gulfstream flew a G600 aircraft from Georgia to the UK using a 30/70 blend of SAF and jet fuel. 

The Virgin Atlantic flight will be the first to use pure SAF on a commercial airliner.

Update 29th November 2023 – History made

The first transatlantic flight by a large passenger aeroplane, fueled by ‘greener fuel’ was a success. Operated by Virgin Atlantic, it flew from London’s Heathrow to New York’s JFK airport.

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Virgin Galactic rocket plane enters commercial service

It’s taken nearly 20 years, but Sir Richard Branson has finally begun commercial space flights with his Virgin Galactic rocket ship, Unity

On 29th. June 2023, Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic successfully launched its first commercial flight to the edge of space. The flight was carried out by the company’s SpaceShip Two space plane Unity with a special passenger on board: the company’s billionaire founder Richard Branson. Branson was accompanied by three crewmates and two pilots on the historic flight.

Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic 1

The flight took off from New Mexico in the US after being carried into launch position by Virgin Galactic’s carrier plane, Eve. The rocket ship reached an altitude of 53.5 miles above Earth’s surface before gliding back down to land at Spaceport America .

The vehicle flew high over the New Mexico desert on Thursday to enable three Italian astronauts to conduct science experiments in weightless conditions. Sir Richard will now begin sending up the 800 or so space flight customers who’ve bought tickets to ride on Unity.

72 minute mission

The 72-minute mission took off from Spaceport America at 08:30 local time (14:30 GMT) and was livestreamed around the world.

Just under an hour into the mission, after reaching an altitude of 13,600m (44,500ft), the carrier plane, Eve, then released Unity to ignite its engine and boost up to the edge of space. At the top of its climb, the rocket ship was at an altitude of 279,00ft (85km), touching the edge of space.

Success

This successful launch marks a major milestone for Virgin Galactic and the space tourism industry as a whole. With this achievement, Virgin Galactic has joined a small club of companies that can ferry paying customers to space, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin.

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has made history with its successful rocket ship launch on June 29th, 2023. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the space tourism industry and opens up new possibilities for commercial space travel in the future.