Skip to content

Shuswap adrenaline junkie in line for Virgin Galactic space flight

Salmon Arm man believes trip will be the thrill-seeking pinnacle
20832727_web1_200311-SAA-Rocketman2
Craig Mackay’s national skydiving team in action. (Contributed)

Craig Mackay, a self-described ex-adrenaline junkie and astronaut hopeful, believes his trip into space will be the pinnacle of his thrill-seeking endeavours.

A longtime resident of Salmon Arm, Mackay is no stranger to the extreme. Having worked as a scuba-diving instructor and national skydiving team leader, space may not seem like too big a leap. Currently, Mackay is 600th on the list of people waiting to visit the final frontier through the world’s first commercial space flight program, Virgin Galactic.

Read more: Catch a view of the Shuswap from the International Space Station

Read more: Trump signs order to create US Space Command

Read more: VIDEO: Eagle feather from B.C. flew to space with Canadian astronaut

Mackay has been dreaming of space flight since he was a child and started thinking more seriously about taking the trip a few years ago.

Despite being 600 on the waitlist, and medical tests ahead of him, Mackay is still excited at the prospect.

“Just being able to do it, just being one of not many to be able to go to space,” Mackay said.

The trip consists of two stages. Passengers ride in the space shuttle which is flown to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere by a jet plane. The shuttle is disengaged from the plane where it then ignites its own boosters, propelling it past the surly bonds of Earth and into space for an eight minute flight.


@CameronJHT
Cameron.thomson@saobserver.net

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

20832727_web1_copy_200311-SAA-Rocketman1
Craig Mackay on the list of people waiting to visit the final frontier through the world’s first commercial space flight program, Virgin Galactic. (Contributed)