Virgin Galactic is gearing up for its next spaceflight, scheduled to take place in less than two weeks. The company revealed on August 28 that it is targeting September 8 for the launch of Galactic 03, marking its third commercial spaceflight and eighth overall space mission.

Galactic 03 will transport three paying customers to and from suborbital space, departing from Spaceport America in New Mexico. While the identities of these passengers remain undisclosed, it is known that they have held tickets for an extended period of time.

Virgin Galactic referred to these three passengers as "Founder" astronauts, the pioneers whose early ticket purchases played a crucial role in transforming the concept of regular commercial space travel into a reality. They acquired their tickets as far back as 2005 and have actively participated in Virgin Galactic's Future Astronaut community.

This trio will bolster Virgin Galactic's astronaut count to 14th, 15th, and 16th members. They will be accompanied by Colin Bennett, one of Virgin Galactic's astronaut instructors.

The journey aboard Galactic 03's VSS Unity spacecraft, piloted by Nicola Pecile and Michael Masucci, will commence beneath the wings of the carrier aircraft VMS Eve. After being released at an altitude of around 50,000 feet (15,000 meters), Unity will ignite its onboard rocket motor, propelling it to suborbital space. Passengers will enjoy several minutes of weightlessness, gazing at the Earth against the backdrop of space before returning for a runway landing at Spaceport America.

In a previous milestone, the Galactic 02 flight took off on August 10, carrying an ex-Olympian and a mother-daughter pair to the frontiers of space. The daughter, an 18-year-old college student, achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest person to venture into space, as recognized by Virgin Galactic.

Virgin Galactic currently offers tickets for $450,000. However, due to their status as "founding astronauts," the passengers on Galactic 03 likely secured their seats at a lower cost, considering the gradual price increases over the years. The imminent Galactic 03 launch promises to contribute another chapter to the growing realm of commercial space travel.