The first Scottish astronaut will be the chief pilot for Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson’s upcoming trip into space.
Dave Mackay, originally from Helmsdale, will fly the billionaire and four other crew members aboard the Unity 22 mission on Sunday.
He has previously helmed a number of test flights, making history in 2019 by piloting the VSS Unity over the altitude of 50 miles above the Earth’s surface and becoming the first person born in Scotland to make it into space.
Sunday will be the company’s fourth crewed spaceflight, with Branson on board to try out the “private astronaut experience”.
Join us July 11th for our first fully crewed rocket powered test flight, and the beginning of a new space age.
The countdown begins. #Unity22
https://t.co/5UalYT7Hjb. @RichardBranson pic.twitter.com/ZL9xbCeWQX— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) July 1, 2021
The main objectives of the test flight, taking off from Virgin Galactic’s spaceport in New Mexico, will be evaluating seat comfort, the weightless experience and the views of Earth from the cabin.
Following the flight, the team will complete inspections of the vehicles and an extensive data review, which will inform the next steps in the test flight program.
Two additional test flights are planned before the company expects to commence commercial service in 2022.
WATCH: Scotland’s first man in space reveals how it feels to gaze at Earth from 264,000 feet
The launch takes place nine days before Amazon founder Jeff Bezos takes off on his own mission as the billionaires compete for bragging rights in the race to space tourism.
Bezos will be on board his New Shepard rocket’s first passenger flight, which coincides with the 52nd anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing.
He’ll be joined by his brother, an 82-year-old female aviation pioneer who’s waited six decades for a trip to space and the winner of a $28 million charity auction.
Ahead of the Virgin flight, which will be streamed live online, Branson said: “I truly believe that space belongs to all of us.
“After more than 16 years of research, engineering, and testing, Virgin Galactic stands at the vanguard of a new commercial space industry, which is set to open space to humankind and change the world for good.
“It’s one thing to have a dream of making space more accessible to all; it’s another for an incredible team to collectively turn that dream into reality.”
© Supplied by Virgin Galactic chieBranson, who turns 71 next Sunday, added: “As part of a remarkable crew of mission specialists, I’m honoured to help validate the journey our future astronauts will undertake and ensure we deliver the unique customer experience people expect from Virgin.”
Mackay, a former RAF and airline pilot, officially became an astronaut when he piloted the VSS Unity on a successful test flight above California in 2019.
Speaking to The Sunday Post after making history, he said: “I wish I could describe it better. I’m an engineer and pilot, so I’m used to dealing with facts and figures, hard data.
“We’d need to get a poet or an artist up there to describe it with the right words. The weekend after I flew, I thought a lot about how I would describe it and how it felt. I’d say it was almost magical.”
"Welcome to space, Scotland". Our Chief Pilot, Dave Mackay, is the 569th human in space and the first Scottish born astronaut. This was his journey to space. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/K058YtA27y
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) February 23, 2019
NASA defines space as beginning at 50 miles above the Earth’s surface.
Travelling above that altitude was both a significant milestone for Virgin Galactic’s space mission and a badge of honour for Mackay.
The proud Scot took swatches of his family tartan with him, as well as wearing the usual tartan stripe on the rear of his helmet.
The moment he realised he was in space, he uttered the words “welcome to space, Scotland.”
He recalled: “To be the first Scottish astronaut is really something. Virgin Galactic is multinational company – we don’t go flying national flags around. We’re all working together and the spaceship’s name is Unity but I thought, this is something for Scotland, so I just said some words to mark the occasion.”
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