‘Experience of a lifetime’: Billionaire Richard Branson achieves space dream
British billionaire Richard Branson flew into space on Sunday aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel; a voyage he described as the “experience of a lifetime” ; Also, one he hopes will usher in an era of lucrative space tourism.
“Congratulations to all our wonderful team at Virgin Galactic for 17 years of hard, hard work to get us this far,” he says during a live feed as the VSS Unity spaceship glided back to Spaceport America in New Mexico.
It reach’s peak altitude of around 53 miles (85 kilometres) — beyond the boundary of space, according to the United States ; allowing the passengers to experience weightlessness and admire the Earth’s curvature.
Moreover, the trip proceeds without drama, and touchdown occurrs at around 9:40am Mountain Time (1540 GMT); about an hour after take-off.
Welcome to the dawn of a new space age #Unity22 @virgingalactic pic.twitter.com/Rlim1UGMkx
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) July 11, 2021
The mission’s success means Branson has beaten fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos in the race to be the first tycoon to cross the final frontier in a ship built by a company he founded.
Bezos, the richest person in the world, is due to fly on July 20 on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
Blue Origin posted an infographic Friday boasting the ways in which the experience it offers is superior.
The principal point: New Shepard climbs up to more than 60 miles in altitude, thus exceeding what is called the Karman line, the frontier of space according to international convention.
Bezos himself wished Branson “best of luck” in an Instagram post the following day.
