Virgin Galactic explores launch potential from southern Italy
December 16, 2024
Virgin Galactic is collaborating with Italy’s civil aviation authority to assess the feasibility of conducting suborbital spaceflight operations from Grottaglie Spaceport in southern Italy.
Under the first phase of the study, Virgin Galactic will work with Ente Nazionale per l’Aviazione Civile (ENAC) to examine Grottaglie’s airspace compatibility with Virgin Galactic’s requirements and unique flight profile. Expected to be completed in 2025, this will include “examining any regulatory requirements, studying the facilities infrastructure and ensuring supply chain capability to support repeated spaceflights,” explained Virgin Galactic.
Further consideration will also be made to assess the surrounding area’s ability to support private and research suborbital spaceflight customers, regional workforce requirements, and the compatibility of Italy’s suborbital regulations with those in Virgin Galactic’s US headquarters.
Virgin Galactic CEO Mihcael Colglazier described the “development of world-class spaceports in premier locations” as essential to the company’s remit of expanding human space travel, adding: “This study lays the groundwork to activate the economic and community benefits of commercial space across the region”.
The partnership comes 18 months after members of the Italian Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy conducted research aboard Virgin Galactic’s inaugural commercial spaceflight, ‘Galactic 01’. It is expected that the proposed conditions for Grottagllie launches will follow regulations inspired by the US launch model.
“Extending commercial space travel to our region aligns closely with the investments we are already making in research and innovation, development of advanced skills, and policies to strengthen the regional aerospace ecosystem,” concluded Vito Bavaro of the Puglia Region’s Economic Development Department.
