Astronaut, from dream to reality

For this webinar, we welcome Yves PLEINDOUX (MS AM 18), entrepreneur and director of Aerospace consulting.

He will detail the story of how, 100 years after aviation's first steps, men imagined how to push back the next frontier and create the first aerospace company for Earth, open to the public. He'll be giving a talk on Virgin Galactic's forthcoming private space flights, and describing the various phases of this exceptional adventure in a simple, interactive, visual and educational animation.

You'll get a sneak preview of what goes on behind the scenes, the motivations behind it, and the technological, human and financial stakes involved in this extraordinary project.

- What were the technological, aerodynamic and environmental challenges faced by this company in obtaining certification?

- Virgin Galactic's Delta-winged VSS rocket-plane

- What is an Astroport? What will be the profile of this suborbital flight?

- What kind of preparation, training and medical check-up is needed to cope with the load factors involved?

After 20 years of development, twists and turns, failures and delays, the company carried out its first 7 commercial flights from June 2023 to June 2024, propelling 32 private astronauts of various nationalities into Space. Flights will resume in 2026, with a new DELTA-class VSS spacecraft currently being assembled. The launch rate will soon be weekly, with 2 pilots/6 passengers on board. A fleet of 3 then 5 rocket-powered aircraft is under construction...