Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight has launched and landed successfully, blasting a former Olympian from Newcastle and a Caribbean mother-daughter duo above the Earth.
Thursday 10 August 2023 22:07, UK
Thank you for following Sky News' coverage of this historic Virgin Galactic 02 spaceflight.
We're ending our liveblog for the evening, but if you missed anything, you can read the updates below as they happened, or get the full story here:
The news conference ends, with the three now-astronauts thanking family, friends, countrymen and women and Virgin Galactic.
Jon Goodwin is asked to outline his feelings before the flight, and he is now describing how he entered a car to the hangar in New Mexico feeling the weight of the moment.
"I said 'the next time I get into this car, I'll be an astronaut on the return journey', and that was the realisation that after 18 years, the day had arrived."
Jon Goodwin thanks Virgin for continuing with its plans to fly him to space despite him being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
"When I signed up in September 2005, I didn't have Parkinson's," he says.
"When I [was diagnosed with] the disease, I thought, 'that's the end of me going into space'... but they've [Virgin] never stopped me from doing what I wanted to do," the 80-year-old adds.
When asked if he thinks he has inspired others suffering with the disease, he urges sufferers of all debilitating illnesses to not doubt themselves.
"I'm hoping that I instil in people around the world... it [illness] doesn't stop you from doing things that are out of the normal."
Mother and daughter Keisha Schahaff and Anastatia Mayers have just been asked about how they feel to be the first people from the Caribbean to enter space and what messages they have for people from the islands.
"It is okay to dream big, okay to voice your dream... you gotta go beyond your limits," Ms Schahaff says.
"The universe will figure it out for you, you just take that step," she adds.
Ms Schahaff adds that she brought sand from her home island up to space with her.
Ms Mayers builds on her mother's comments, adding that young people in particular feel added pressure when stepping forward in life.
"I understand where a lot of the self-doubt comes from... but everyone's dreams are valid and there's always a possibility for the to come through."
Anastatia Mayers, who is now the youngest person to have entered space according to Virgin Galactic, says she found the experience made her a feel a connection with everything around her on the trip.
"I felt like part of the team, like a part of the ship, a part of the universe and a part of earth... and I'm still starstruck," she says.
Keisha Schahaff echoes Mr Goodwin's comments - adding that it was "so comfortable - the best ride ever".
She says that she felt as if she was "still there now" and that she would love to go back.
"I'm still up there, I'm not here yet," she says.
Jon Goodwin, 80-year-old Olympian, faces the first bout of questions.
Giving his reaction, he said the experience was "far more dramatic than I imagined".
"The pure acceleration... was completely surreal and the re-entry was a lot more dramatic... in fact I would have said it was out of control if I didn't know anything different," he says.
"A completely surreal experience, the most impressive thing was looking at earth from space," he adds.
"It is, without a doubt, the most exciting day of my life."
Stay tuned for updates from the news conference in New Mexico.
We're expecting to hear from the crew and passengers of the historic Virgin Galactic 02 spaceflight.
Passengers Jon Goodwin, Keisha Schahaff and Anastatia Mayers will speak publicly for the first time officially as astronauts, having reached the edge of space earlier today
We'll be bringing you the latest reaction from the crew of the Virgin Galactic 02 spaceflight, as they hold a news conference beginning in about 15 minutes' time.
Stay tuned for live updates right here.
