Virgin Galactic, the US-based space tourism company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, announced plans to explore establishing a new base in Italy. The move could pave the way for suborbital flights for European tourists, marking a significant milestone in the growing space tourism sector.
The company, which is currently upgrading its fleet during a two-year hiatus, has already conducted seven commercial spaceflights from Spaceport America in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic confirmed it had signed an agreement with Italy’s ENAC civil aviation authority to assess the feasibility of operating flights from Grottaglie Spaceport in the Puglia region of southern Italy.
A View of Italy from Space
Speaking at an event held at the Italian Embassy in Washington, Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier expressed enthusiasm for the project.
“We are thrilled at the prospect of Virgin Galactic customers looking out of their spaceship windows to witness firsthand the iconic boot of Italy from space,” Colglazier said.
Phase one of the study, set to conclude in 2025, will focus on evaluating Grottaglie’s airspace compatibility with Virgin Galactic’s unique flight profile. Phase two will consider workforce requirements and the potential economic impact of conducting multiple spaceflights per week.
ENAC Deputy Director General Fabio Nicolai highlighted the partnership’s significance. “This work will lay the foundation for safe and sustainable commercial operations in Italy,” he stated.
Economic and Scientific Potential
Virgin Galactic envisions its Grottaglie operations commencing within four to five years, according to Mike Moses, a former NASA official now overseeing the company’s commercial spaceflight program. If successful, the initiative could bring significant economic benefits to Puglia and enhance Italy’s role in the burgeoning private space industry.
Virgin Galactic’s suborbital flights use a giant mothership that takes off from a runway and releases a smaller spaceplane mid-air. The spaceplane rockets to the edge of the atmosphere, offering passengers a view of Earth’s curvature and a brief experience of weightlessness before gliding back to the ground.
Building on Italian Connections
This is not Virgin Galactic’s first collaboration with Italy. Its maiden commercial flight in June 2023 featured members of the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy. That mission also had a broader scientific focus, with Italian participants conducting experiments during their flight.
One Italian Air Force officer later joined an Axiom Space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in partnership with SpaceX.
Europe’s Role in Space Tourism
While Europe currently lacks the capability to launch crewed missions from its own soil, Virgin Galactic’s planned operations in Grottaglie could position Italy as a leader in the continent’s space tourism market. However, Virgin Galactic missions do not technically reach the Karman Line, the internationally recognised boundary of space at 100 kilometres above sea level.
Despite financial challenges and the struggle to turn a profit, Virgin Galactic’s strong cash reserves — $744 million as of September — are expected to support its upcoming ventures. Its next-generation Delta spaceships, which will carry six passengers instead of the current four, promise to further enhance its offerings. Tickets for these flights may cost $600,000, though details for the Italian expansion remain under discussion.
In 2022, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti became commander of the International Space Station (ISS).
