Virgin Galactic’s mission set to launch billionaire Richard Branson to space has been delayed by 90 minutes as the spaceplane could not be made it in time due to a thunderstorm. The launch, scheduled for 16.30 CET (14:30 GMT), is streamed live on internet.
SpaceShipTwo-class VSS Unity
It is the company’s first fully manned space trip after 22 test flights (three of which were crewed). Branson will join two pilots and three other crew members.
VSS Unity – SpaceShipTwo-type spaceplane – will be lifted by a carrier mother ship “White Knight Two” (VMS Eve) to a altitude of 15 kilometers, roughly one and a half times the height of an intercontinental commercial flight. Then it shoots up to an altitude of 80 kilometers, in the proximity of the edge of space.
The crew will see the curvature of the Earth and the darkness of the outer space. They will also feel weightlessness for about 4 minutes. In overall, the journey takes about one and a half hours.
Space tourism
Branson wants to offer these space flights to wealthy tourists. Several hundred tickets have already been sold so far at a price of $250,000 per seat.
Branson’s space travel emerges just a week before Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos scheduled his own launch aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft. Bezos plans to travel a little further up to an altitude of 100 kilometers, which many scientists see as the real frontier of space.
Branson spoke previously of a friendly rivalry between him, Bezos and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Bezos wished Branson good luck and a safe flight yesterday via Instagram. Musk tweeted “Have a good trip & Godspeed” to Branson and wished him well. Musk has planned a manned flight for September this year.
