Virgin Galactic’s new vehicles will carry six customers on space flights, allowing an out-of-the-seat zero gravity experience and offering astounding views of the planet from the black sky of space.

A unique approach

Developed countries are falling behind in science, technology, engineering and maths. STEM education, compromising future competitiveness.

Galactic Unite is tackling STEM education because of the interest and expertise of the Future Astronauts and Virgin Galactic. They believe that a STEM approach will lead us to the answers to the tough global challenges we face. STEM education is also critical for creating the workforce that the nascent commercial space industry will need to succeed.

What do they support?

Virgin Unite and Virgin Galactic have joined forces to create Galactic Unite. The initiative aims to inspire students to seek answers to global challenges through advancing education in science, technology, engineering, maths and business entrepreneurship.

Galactic Unite’s inaugural partnership is with the Student Launch Programme. It’s part of NASA’s Summer of Innovation Programme and is a competition in which students design experiments that use suborbital space to answer scientific and engineering questions.

Impact?

Galactic Unite is still in the very early stages of development, but has already raised over $1 million for the initiative through their community of “Future Astronauts”. 

In April 2011, Virgin Galactic worked with Virgin America and Virgin Unite to launch Galactic Unite at the opening of the airline’s new terminal. The event raised $385,000 for the initiative and made aviation history. It included a Virgin America plane and Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo landing on parallel runways at the new terminal.

This is the third year of the Student Launch Programme and students from 138 middle schools are taking part. The winning experiments will be sent into space on rockets provided by The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Here’s what they are saying:

Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder and Chairperson, said:

“Galactic Unite has been inspired and driven by the amazing international community of Virgin Galactic's future astronauts. As a group of pioneers, they are already helping lifelong learning and industry development to take shape. It is extremely exciting to see they are also combining their resources to act as a force for good in New Mexico and beyond. I’m delighted that Virgin Unite has been able to assist and will help to maximize the impact of this wonderful initiative.”