Spaceflight pioneers Virgin Galactic has hired D.C.-based public affairs shop McBee Strategic Consulting for Capitol Hill representation on defense, science and appropriations lobbying issues as they relate to the commercial small launch industry.
Virgin Galactic, which was founded in 2004, is Virgin Group’s spaceflight company currently developing commercial spacecraft for suborbital tourism and scientific research.
Virgin Group’s billionaire founder Sir Richard Branson had previously predicted a maiden flight several years ago, but those plans were delayed after the October 2014 crash of one of the company’s test vehicles, the VSS Enterprise, which resulted in the death of a co-pilot.
A new suborbital spacecraft vehicle, VSS Unity, was rolled out in February and is currently undergoing ground testing, with airborne testing slated to begin this year.
Flights on the six-passenger, rocket-powered spacecraft are expected to cost about $250,000. Allegedly, more than 700 have already reserved a seat with the spaceflight provider.
A launch site for the spacecraft is expected to be announced in the UK this month.
Virgin Galactic owns Mojave, CA-based subsidiary aerospace company The Spaceship Company, which manufactured Virgin Galactic’s spacecraft. Aabar Investments group, the sovereign wealth fund of the United Arab Emirates' capital, Abu Dhabi, now holds a 38 percent equitable ownership in Virgin Galactic, and plans to someday launch tourism and research space flights from that city.
The Virgin Galactic account will be led by McBee executive vice president Erin Neal, former senior staffer to Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL); Noe Garcia, former policy advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), public liaison to the Treasury Department and a legislative aide to Kay Bailey Hutchison; and Kimberly Dorgan, former senior executive VP of public policy for the American Council of Life Insurers.
Missy Edwards Strategies represents Shein Technology Group, the Los Angeles arm of the embattled Singapore-based “instant fashion” retailer.
Carlsbad, a north San Diego County city of 115K people, is looking for a firm to provide government relations and Sacramento lobbying services.
Gordon Sondland, who was US ambassador to the European Union under Donald Trump, has registered as a representative of Ukraine’s cabinet and ministers.
The Daschle Group is representing Santa Monica-based Stand with Hong Kong Action, an advocacy group that fights to end Chinese repression in Hong Kong.
McKinsey & Co. has reached out to Republican shop Harbinger Strategies to educate policymakers about the activities of the embattled management consultancy.
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