Branson’s Virgin Galactic Returns to Space in Crucial Test (2)

Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., the space-tourism company founded by billionaire Richard Branson, sent a crewed flight to the edge of space for the first time in almost two years, a crucial milestone in its plans to begin commercial service next month.

The flight, called Unity 25, took off at about 9:15 a.m. local time Thursday from New Mexico with two seasoned pilots and four passengers — all Virgin Galactic employees. The VSS Unity spacecraft detached from the carrier plane about an hour later and reached space before returning to Earth.

“Successful boost, WE HAVE REACHED SPACE!,” the ...