https://www.cnet.com/news/virgin-galactic-flies-a-surprise-passenger-to-suborbital-space/

"She will provide human validation for the data we collect. Including aspects of the customer cabin and spaceflight environment from the perspective of people in the back," Virgin Galactic tweeted. The company had not mentioned her in its releases prior to the flight.

The plane VSS Unity is the same one that earned its pilots commercial astronaut wings after its last flight. The space plane works by hitching a ride on Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo aircraft, and then separating and rocketing off under its own power.