New Mexico: Richard Branson, the billionaire, blasted out on Sunday from a base in New Mexico aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel bound for the edge of space, hoping to launch the budding space tourism sector. Virgin Galactic announced on Sunday that the aircraft carrying British entrepreneur Richard Branson, two pilots, and three other passengers had entered space.
Passengers can unbuckle and experience weightlessness for a few minutes while admiring the curvature of the Earth through the ship’s 17 windows.
According to the United States, the frontier of space is defined as being over 50 miles (80 kilometers) in altitude.
“It’s a beautiful day to go to space,” the brazen Brit stated earlier in a tweet that included a video of him riding to the base and meeting his crewmates, all Virgin employees.
Branson also hopes to outdo Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos by becoming the first tycoon to cross the final frontier in a ship built by a company he founded.
Earlier, he shared a photo of himself standing in a kitchen with Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, who had come to show his support.
In the 2000s, several visitors traveled to the International Space Station on Russian rockets.
Branson’s formal task is to assess the private astronaut experience in order to improve future clients’ journeys.
The 70-year-old tweeted a few days before his flight, “As a child, I wanted to go to space.”
In 2004, he launched Virgin Galactic, but the dream was nearly dashed in 2014 when a pilot died in an in-flight accident, causing the program to be significantly delayed.
The mission launched from Spaceport America, a massive complex in the Jornada del Muerto desert about 20 miles southeast of the nearest settlement, Truth or Consequences.
Virgin Galactic is the main tenant, and it is largely financed by the state of New Mexico.
Virgin Galactic anticipates two further flights after Sunday, followed by the launch of regular commercial operations in early 2022. The long-term goal is to fly 400 times each year.
For costs ranging from $200,000 to $250,000.00, 600 tickets have already been sold to persons from 60 different countries, including Hollywood superstars.
“When we return, I will announce something very exciting to give more people the chance to become an astronaut,” he promised.
Bezos, the world’s richest man, is scheduled to launch aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket on July 20. On Friday, Blue Origin released an infographic showcasing the benefits of the experience it provides.
