Richard Branson is the first billionaire to travel to space aboard a rocket from his space company, Virgin Galactic. The company's space plane launched over New Mexico early Sunday, carrying Branson and three colleagues into space.
Branson , along with Virgin Galactic employees Beth Moses, Colin Bennett and Sirisha Bandla and pilots Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci , boarded SpaceShipTwo , a single - rocket-powered space plane that the company has been designing for two decades. The space plane launched and climbed to 50,000 feet.
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Once at maximum altitude, the spacecraft was suspended for a few minutes, allowing Richard Branson and the rest of the crew to enjoy panoramic views of Earth and space.
Richard Branson also sent a message using SpaceShipTwo's cameras: "To all the kids out there – I was once a kid with a dream and looking up at the stars. Now I'm an adult in a spaceship... If we can do this, just imagine what you can do," he said.
This flight was the vehicle's fourth test flight.
The launch of SpaceShipTwo was accompanied by a party hosted by Richard Branson with friends, family, employees and a few VIPs.
Richard Branson's trip, which comes just nine days before billionaire Jeff Bezos's, will be a milestone for the commercial space industry. For years, space companies have been developing spacecraft capable of carrying people into spacefor so-called space tourism.
Branson and Bezos are already considered competitors in this industry, since in addition to Branson ultimately traveling first into space, both companies (Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin) offer tickets to wealthy customers for short rides in the upper atmosphere.
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Virgin Galactic plans to conduct one more test flight before it begins carrying customers. More than 600 people have booked tickets, worth $200,000 to $250,000. The company is expected to reopen ticket sales soon, although prices may be higher.
Branson's flight also helps to bolster Virgin Galactic's reputation as the "world's first commercial space company."
Whether Virgin Galactic will actually be the first company in this industry is still unclear. Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Originwas set to send its founder into space before Branson, but Virgin Galactic pulled off a surprise move earlier this month by announcing that Branson's flight would actually happen sooner.
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Bezos' flight is scheduled for July 20. However, the company has not started selling tickets to the public, nor has it set a specific date for when it plans to do so.
However, neither company is expected to offer tickets that are affordable to the average American. Richard Branson revealed on Sunday that Virgin Galactic would be holding a “raffle” for two free tickets.
Source: CNN International
