VSS Unity VF-01
{{Short description|2019 American crewed sub-orbital spaceflight}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:VSS Unity VF-01}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = VF-01
| image = Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo "Unity" rollout 19Feb2016, FAITH hangar, Mojave, California.jpg
| image_caption = VSS Unity in February 2016
| mission_type = Crewed suborbital spaceflight
| operator = Virgin Galactic
| mission_duration = 15 minutes
| suborbital_apogee = {{Convert|89.99|km|abbr=off}}
| spacecraft = VSS Unity
| spacecraft_type = SpaceShipTwo
| manufacturer = The Spaceship Company
| crew_members = {{Unbulleted list|David Mackay|Mike Masucci|Beth Moses}}
| launch_date = 22 February 2019, 16:57 UTC
| launch_site = Mojave Runway 30
| deployment_from = VMS Eve
| landing_date = 22 February 2019, 17:23 UTC
| landing_site = Mojave Runway 30
| programme = VSS Unity spaceflights
| previous_mission = VP-03
| next_mission = Unity 21
}}
VF-01{{cite web |url=http://planet4589.org/space/jsr/back/news.762.txt |title=Jonathan's Space Report, No. 762 |last=McDowell |first=Jonathan |date=9 March 2019}} was a sub-orbital spaceflight of the SpaceShipTwo-class VSS Unity that took place on 22 February 2019, piloted by David Mackay and co-piloted by Mike Masucci. It was operated by Virgin Galactic, a private company led by Richard Branson that intends to conduct space tourism flights in the future. Following VSS Unity VP-03, VF-01 was a demonstration of the craft's ability to carry passengers. Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut trainer Beth Moses acted as a test passenger, evaluating the experience for potential customers.{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/22/18232354/virgin-galactic-vss-unity-spaceplane-test-spaceflight-passenger-beth-moses |title=Virgin Galactic spaceplane reaches space with first passenger on board |last=Grush |first=Loren |date=22 February 2019 |website=The Verge}}
Reaching an apogee of {{convert|55.92|mi|km|2|abbr=on}}, the flight satisfied the United States definition of spaceflight ({{convert|50|mi|km|2|abbr=on}}), but fell short of the Kármán line ({{convert|100|km|mi|2|abbr=on}}), the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale definition. It was the highest flight of Unity and the SpaceShipTwo ever.
Crew
{{Spaceflight crew
|terminology = Astronaut
|position1 = Pilot
|crew1_up = {{flagicon|UK}} David Mackay
|flights1_up = First
|position2 = Co-Pilot
|crew2_up = {{flagicon|US}} Michael Masucci
|flights2_up = First
|position3 = Passenger
|crew3_up = {{flagicon|US}} Beth Moses
|flights3_up = First
}}
Flight
On 22 February 2019, Unity's mother ship VMS Eve carried it into flight in a parasite configuration. Shortly before 9 a.m., Unity was drop launched. Pilots Mackay and Masucci flew Unity at a maximum Mach of 3.04 to a maximum altitude of over {{convert|55.9|mi|ft|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47336617 |title=Virgin's Unity plane rockets skyward |date=22 February 2019 |publisher=BBC}} This altitude surpassed the 50-mile limit used in the United States to denote the limit of space, but fell short of the Kármán line. Both craft landed safely afterwards. During flight, Moses unstrapped from her seat and experienced weightlessness. Per the U.S. convention, Moses was also the first woman aboard a commercial spacecraft.{{cite news |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/space/go-for-launch/os-ae-virgin-galactc-second-flight-to-space-20190222-story.html |title=Virgin Galactic sends first test passenger on space flight |last=Tribou |first=Richard |date=22 February 2019 |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=22 March 2019 |archive-date=22 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322024115/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/space/go-for-launch/os-ae-virgin-galactc-second-flight-to-space-20190222-story.html |url-status=dead }}