{"id":11569,"date":"2021-07-12T01:18:27","date_gmt":"2021-07-11T17:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/richard-branson-rockets-into-space\/"},"modified":"2021-07-12T01:18:27","modified_gmt":"2021-07-11T17:18:27","slug":"richard-branson-rockets-into-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/richard-branson-rockets-into-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Richard Branson rockets into space"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>STORY WRITTEN FOR&nbsp;CBS NEWS&nbsp;&amp; USED WITH PERMISSION<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_52591\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52591\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52591\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/bransoninspace.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/bransoninspace.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/bransoninspace-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/bransoninspace-678x396.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/bransoninspace-768x448.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52591\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richard Branson floats inside the passenger cabin of the VSS Unity rocketplane. Credit: Virgin Galactic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Virgin Galactic owner Richard Branson rocketed into space Sunday, an edge-of-the-seat sub-orbital test flight intended to demonstrate his company\u2019s air-launched spaceplane is ready for passengers who can afford the ultimate thrill ride.<\/p>\n<p>And it appeared to do just that, zooming to an altitude just above 50 miles and giving Branson and his five crewmates about three minutes of weightlessness and spectacular views of Earth before plunging back into the atmosphere for a spiraling descent to touchdown at Virgin\u2019s New Mexico launch site.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have dreamt of this moment since I was a kid but honestly, nothing could prepare you for the view of Earth from space,\u201d Branson said after landing, at a rare loss for words. \u201cIt was just magical. \u2026 I\u2019m just taking it all in, it\u2019s unreal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The flight effectively upstaged Amazon-founder Jeff Bezos, who plans a sub-orbital spaceflight of his own aboard Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard spacecraft on July 20 as the two companies compete for passengers in the emerging commercial space marketplace.<\/p>\n<p>Bezos complimented Branson and his team after landing, posting a note to Instagram saying \u201ccongratulations on the flight. Can\u2019t wait to join the club!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1414261028431532033&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2021%2F07%2F11%2Frichard-branson-rockets-into-space%2F&amp;sessionId=b8d63c2f3ccfb2dabdb8a324d706686092975fba&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1414261028431532033\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782468484557176057=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Virgin Galactic has released a brief replay from inside the cabin of the VSS Unity rocketplane.<\/p>\n<p>This clip shows Richard Branson and his crewmates at the moment of release from the VMS Eve carrier aircraft.https:\/\/t.co\/h22JtU0mM4 pic.twitter.com\/ezGHy2Hlex<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) July 11, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Branson\u2019s 90-minute trip began in dramatic fashion as Virgin\u2019s twin-fuselage carrier jet, with the VSS Unity rocketplane bolted under its wing, lifted away from Spaceport America\u2019s runway near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, at 10:40 a.m. EDT.<\/p>\n<p>Joining the globe-trotting billionaire aboard Unity were pilots David Mackay and Michael Masucci, along with Virgin astronaut trainer Beth Moses, flight engineer Colin Bennett and Sirisha Bandla, the company\u2019s vice president of government relations.<\/p>\n<p>With a throng of reporters and a global audience following along on YouTube and across Virgin\u2019s social media channels, the Virgin mothership \u2014 VMS Eve \u2014 slowly climbed to an altitude of about 45,000 feet and then, after a final round of safety checks, released Unity high above the New Mexico desert.<\/p>\n<p>Seconds later, Mackay and Masucci, both veterans of earlier test flights to space, ignited Unity\u2019s hybrid rocket motor, slamming the crew back in their seats as the spacecraft shot forward and pitched up onto a near-vertical trajectory.<\/p>\n<p>Burning rubberized solid propellant with liquid nitrous oxide, Unity\u2019s hybrid motor fired for about one minute, accelerating the craft to about three times the speed of sound before shutting down.<\/p>\n<p>The spaceplane continued zooming upward along a ballistic trajectory, giving Branson and company a chance to briefly unstrap, float about the cabin and marvel at the spectacular view as Unity reached its maximum altitude of 53.5 miles, three-and-a-half miles above what NASA and the FAA consider the \u201cboundary\u201d of space.<\/p>\n<p>Live video from inside the spacecraft showed Branson and his crewmates floating free of their seats and enjoying the sensation of weightlessness, not to mention the out-of-this-world view.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1414247161005543429&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2021%2F07%2F11%2Frichard-branson-rockets-into-space%2F&amp;sessionId=b8d63c2f3ccfb2dabdb8a324d706686092975fba&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1414247161005543429\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782468484557176057=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Richard Branson called his flight to space \u201cthe experience of a lifetime\u201d in a radio transmission from the VSS Unity rocketplane as it glides back to landing at Spaceport America in New Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>Watch live: https:\/\/t.co\/h22JtU0mM4 pic.twitter.com\/NjmIbGNB4N<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) July 11, 2021<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo all you kids down there, I was once a child with a dream looking up to the stars,\u201d Branson said while his cremates cavorted in microgravity. \u201cNow I\u2019m an adult, in a spaceship with lots of other wonderful adults, looking down to our beautiful, beautiful Earth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo the next generation of dreamers, if we can do this, just imagine what you can do!\u201d he said, before floating out of his seat. A few moments later, the spacecraft then began the long plunge back to Earth.<\/p>\n<p>Using an innovation pioneered by aircraft designer Burt Rutan, Unity\u2019s wing and tail fins are designed to pivot upward 60 degrees once out of the atmosphere, giving the spaceplane the aerodynamics of a badminton shuttlecock, ensuring a belly-down, \u201ccare-free\u201d re-entry.<\/p>\n<p>Mackay and Masucci rotated the wing upward shortly after the rocket motor shut down and left it in the \u201cfeathered\u201d orientation until it descended to around 55,000 feet when it was pivoted back parallel to the fuselage, turning Unity into a glider.<\/p>\n<p>From there, the pilots guided the spaceplane through a spiraling descent, lined up on Spaceport America\u2019s 12,000-foot-long runway and settled to a picture-perfect landing, closing out a flight that lasted about one hour from takeoff to touchdown.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Moses, Virgin president for space flight and safety, said an initial look at the data showed Unity came through its latest mission in great shape.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve looked at the data, we\u2019ve done our quick engineering walk around (and) the ship looks pristine, no issues whatsoever,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ll take our time, do all the detailed inspections, and then we\u2019ll figure out when we\u2019re ready to go again. But ship looked perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Space Force agree that space effectively begins at an altitude of 50 miles where the atmosphere is so thin wings, rudders and other aerodynamic surfaces no longer have any effect.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, Branson, Bennett and Bandla are now considered full-fledged Virgin astronauts, a distinction granted to Mackay, Masucci and Moses after earlier test flights.<\/p>\n<p>Sunday\u2019s launching marked Unity\u2019s 22nd test flight, its fourth trip to space, Virgin\u2019s first with a six-person crew on board and the first for Branson, who beat Bezos into space by nine days.<\/p>\n<p>Virgin Galactic and Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin both plan to launch passengers on flights to the edge of space and back and both are in the final stages of test flights before beginning commercial operations.<\/p>\n<p>Branson effectively blindsided Bezos, scheduling Sunday\u2019s flight just ahead of the Amazon founder\u2019s, which had already been announced. But Branson insisted again Sunday that he doesn\u2019t view the competition as a \u201crace\u201d for space.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve said this so many times it really wasn\u2019t a race,\u201d Branson said. \u201cWe\u2019re just delighted that everything went so fantastically well. We wish Jeff the absolute best and the people who are going up with him during his flight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Virgin plans two more test flights, but company officials hope to begin launching paying customers, at $250,000 or more per seat, in early 2022. Flush with success Sunday, Branson announced a charity sweepstakes benefitting Space for Humanity, saying two winners will be selected to join one of the initial commercial flights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>STORY WRITTEN FOR&nbsp;CBS NEWS&nbsp;&amp; USED WITH PERMISSION Richard Branson floats inside the passenger cabin of the VSS Unity rocketplane. Credit: Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic owner Richard Branson rocketed into space Sunday, an edge-of-the-seat sub-orbital test flight intended to demonstrate his company\u2019s air-launched spaceplane is ready for passengers who can afford the ultimate thrill ride. And [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11569"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}