[ti:Virgin Galactic to Renew Spaceplane Flights] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:01.44]Virgin Galactic has completed improvements [00:06.04]to its VSS Unity spaceplane. [00:11.28]The company plans to restart [00:14.12]a passenger flight program this year, [00:17.80]the company said Tuesday. [00:21.16]Virgin Galactic suspended flights of the Unity [00:25.28]and its carrier plane, the VMS Eve, [00:30.44]in 2021 to work on the craft. [00:34.80]The VSS Unity launches from the surface of the Eve [00:42.04]after that plane carries the spacecraft up. [00:46.84]Virgin Galactic was founded in 2004 [00:51.56]by billionaire Richard Branson. [00:55.64]Virgin Galactic chief Michael Colglazier [00:59.40]said the company's goal for the near future [01:03.08]is to safely provide flights on a usual basis. [01:09.40]The company wants to give both researchers [01:13.44]and space tourists "an unrivaled experience," he said. [01:20.60]In February, Galactic made the first test flight [01:25.36]of its carrier plane since 2021. [01:29.48]The company is planning "two or three" test flights [01:33.68]before any passenger transports, Colglazier said. [01:39.36]The first flight will center on research [01:42.84]for the Italian Air Force. [01:46.04]The company hopes to do monthly flights [01:49.28]after that to serve the 800 customers [01:53.80]who have already purchased trips on the spaceplane. [02:00.24]In February, Galactic re-opened ticket sales to the public. [02:06.84]The cost of a flight is about $450,000 per person. [02:14.32]The spaceplane is to fly passengers [02:17.88]about 80 kilometers above Earth [02:21.20]where they will spend about 10 minutes in low gravity. [02:27.16]The spaceplane will then return home, [02:30.60]landing in a way similar to that of a traditional airplane. [02:37.00]The VMS Unity and its carrier plane [02:41.88]take off and land in the state of New Mexico. [02:47.44]In 2014, a Virgin Galactic passenger spaceship [02:53.36]broke up during a test flight, [02:56.24]killing one pilot and badly injuring another. [03:02.76]I'm Andrew Smith. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM