Watch as Virgin Galactic launches its first commercial spaceflight

Watch as Virgin Galactic, the space-plane venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, launches Galactic 01, its first commercial flight.

A crew of four, including three members of the Italian air force, are on a brief suborbital voyage to the edge of space.

The trio, along with an astronaut instructor, will carry out 13 scientific research experiments.

Among other things, they will measure the air quality with a view to informing future long-term missions, and record how certain liquids and solids interact in microgravity conditions and in different temperatures.

The launch of the spacecraft, called VSS Unity, is due to take place at 4pm British time from Spaceport America in New Mexico, and the flight will last 90 minutes.

Dubbed Galactic 01, the flight will collect data through wearable payloads and sensors, and autonomous payloads mounted in the cabin.

Virgin Galactic said its first commercial spaceflight represents a new era in government-funded, commercial human-tended research missions.