Franz Haider from Lower Austria will fly to the USA on January 20 and into space the following week – he is making history! The Waldviertel resident becomes the second Austrian in space. The mayor of his former home community also admires his courage.
For an incredible 17 years, Franz Haider from Sallingberg in the Waldviertel in Lower Austria looked forward to his greatest adventure. The entrepreneur had already obtained a ticket from Virgin Galactic, the company of British billionaire Richard Branson, in 2007 for no less than $200,000.
The “Day of Days”
After countless preparatory courses and centrifuge training, the “Day of Days” arrives this Friday, January 26. “On Saturday I will fly to Los Angeles and then the journey continues to Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert. “I have now looked ahead for seventeen years and my feelings are already simply indescribable,” Haider told “Krone”.
Five to six minutes of weightlessness
Together with three other passengers and two pilots, the 61-year-old is shot into orbit at speeds of up to 3,600 kilometers per hour. The Lower Austrian is offered five to six minutes of weightlessness and a view that is actually priceless.
Second Austrian in space
After the ‘original Austronaut’ Franz Viehböck, Haider will likely become the second Austrian in space, and his home community is thrilled. Mayor Leopold Bock of Sallingberg about the all-flight: “I like what he is doing. That takes a lot of courage. Hopefully he can tell you many interesting things about this trip. He is a very pleasant person.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
