| next_mission =#REDIRECT [[Virgin Galactic Unity 22|Unity 2221]] ▼{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = VSS ''Unity'' Unity 21
{{rshell|
| image = Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo "Unity" rollout 19Feb2016, FAITH hangar, Mojave, California.jpg
{{r from other name}}
| image_caption = VSS ''Unity''
| mission_type = Crewed suborbital spaceflight
| operator = [[Virgin Galactic]]
| suborbital_apogee = {{convert|89.23|km|mi|2|abbr=on}}
| crew_size = 2
| crew_members = {{Unbulleted list
|[[David Mackay (pilot)|David Mackay]]
|[[Frederick W. Sturckow|Frederick Sturckow]]
}}
| launch_date = 22 May 2021 15:26 UTC
| launch_rocket = [[VSS Unity]] carried by [[VMS Eve]]
| launch_site = [[Spaceport America]]
| landing_date = 22 May 2021
| landing_site = [[Spaceport America]]
| programme = [[VSS Unity]]
| previous_mission = [[VSS Unity VF-01]]
▲| next_mission = [[Virgin Galactic Unity 22|Unity 22]]
}}'''VSS ''Unity'' Unity 21'''<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 May 2021|title=Virgin Galactic on Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1396166206604914689|url-status=live|quote=Unity21 made a beautiful ascent to apogee over Spaceport America, New Mexico.}}</ref> was a [[sub-orbital spaceflight]] of the [[SpaceShipTwo]]-class [[VSS Unity|VSS ''Unity'']] which took place on 22 May 2021, piloted by [[David Mackay (pilot)|David Mackay]] and co-piloted by [[Frederick W. Sturckow|Frederick Sturckow]]. It was the first human spaceflight from the state of [[New Mexico]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 May 2021|title=Virgin Galactic Completes First Human Spaceflight from Spaceports America, New Mexico.|url=https://www.virgingalactic.com/articles/virgin-galactic-completes-first-human-spaceflight-from-spaceport-america-new-mexico/|url-status=live|access-date=22 May 2021}}</ref> It was operated by [[Virgin Galactic]], a private company led by [[Richard Branson]] which intends to conduct [[space tourism]] flights in the future. Unity21 was the first human spaceflight to be launched from [[Spaceport America]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 May 2021|title=Virgin Galactic launches third successful spaceflight|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/22/tech/virgin-galactic-spaceflight/index.html|url-status=live|access-date=22 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=22 May 2021|title=Virgin Galactic on twitter|url=https://twitter.com/virgingalactic/status/1396276052452773893|url-status=live|access-date=22 May 2021|quote=Space is too good not to share. Our proof is in the incredible views of Earth aboard #Unity21.}}</ref>
Reaching an apogee of {{convert|55.45|mi|km|2|abbr=on}}, the flight satisfied the United States definition of spaceflight ({{convert|50|mi|km|2|abbr=on}}), but fell short of the [[Kármán line]] ({{convert|100|km|mi|2|abbr=on}}), the FAI definition.
== Crew ==
{{Spaceflight crew|terminology=Astronaut|position1=Pilot|crew1_up=[[David Mackay (pilot)|David Mackay]]|flights1_up=Second|position2=Co-Pilot|crew2_up=[[Frederick W. Sturckow|Frederick Sturckow]]|flights2_up=Sixth}}
Flights are currently only by U.S Convention.
== Flight ==
On 22 May 2021, ''Unity's'' [[mother ship]] [[VMS Eve|VMS ''Eve'']] carried it into flight in a [[Parasite aircraft|parasite configuration]]. At 15:26 UTC,<ref>{{Cite web|last=McDowell|first=Jonathan|date=22 May 2021|title=Jonathan McDowell on Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1396159906818953229|url-status=live|access-date=22 May 2021}}</ref> ''Unity'' was [[Drop launch|drop launched]]. Pilots MacKay and Sturckow flew ''Unity'' at a maximum [[Mach number|Mach]] of 3. to a maximum altitude of over {{convert|55.45|mi|ft|abbr=on}}. This altitude surpassed the 50-mile limit used in the United States to denote the limit of space, but fell short of the [[Kármán line]]. Both craft landed safely afterwards.
== References ==
{{reflist}}{{Virgin Galactic}}
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