Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have already done it. Now British billionaire and aerospace entrepreneur Richard Branson has also transported space tourists into space. The VSS Unity spaceplane and its parent plane, the VMS Eve, launched Thursday from a spaceport in the US state of New Mexico. At an altitude of about 14 kilometers, “VSS Unity” decoupled from “VMS Eve” and began a short all-flight. On board were three Italian scientists.
During the short flight, the scientists collected data for a dozen experiments. They were also allowed to leave their seats, experience weightlessness and unfurl an Italian flag.
A few minutes of all-experience for 411,000 euros
After a few minutes the trip was over. The “VSS Unity” landed back in New Mexico without any problems. The next commercial launch is already scheduled for early August, this time with “private astronauts” on board, the company said. Tickets for the tour, which lasts about an hour and a half, should cost about $ 450,000 (about 411,000 euros), according to the company.
Branson’s company isn’t the first to enable wealthy individuals to travel to space. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his company Blue Origin have already sent several passengers into space. Another competitor is Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, which has so far conducted two entirely private missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
Branson is considered a pioneer in the field
Nevertheless, the 72-year-old Branson is considered a pioneer in the field of private space travel, for which he founded his company Virgin Galactic in 2004. In July 2021, Branson made it into space in a virtual race of billionaires ten days ahead of Jeff Bezos in his own starship.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
