Italian researchers reach the edge of space flying aboard Virgin Galactic's rocket-powered plane

A team of Italian researchers has reached the edge of space, flying aboard Virgin Galactic’s rocket-powered plane. They launched Thursday morning from Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert and climbed to a peak altitude of more than 52 miles. Now, Virgin Galactic will be flying the first of hundreds of ticket holders, many who have been waiting years for their chance to experience a few minutes of weightlessness. Those commercial flights are expected to begin in August. Thursday's flight was a research mission, with the Italian crew performing microgravity experiments. That included measuring how the body and cognitive abilities are affected by microgravity.