{"id":17529,"date":"2021-07-01T19:05:27","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T11:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/virgin-galactics-richard-branson-plans-july-spaceflight-to-upstage-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-trip\/"},"modified":"2021-07-01T19:05:27","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T11:05:27","slug":"virgin-galactics-richard-branson-plans-july-spaceflight-to-upstage-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/virgin-galactics-richard-branson-plans-july-spaceflight-to-upstage-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Virgin Galactic\u2019s Richard Branson plans July spaceflight to upstage Jeff Bezos\u2019 Blue Origin trip"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Richard
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson says he\u2019ll be Astronaut 001 on the July flight. (Virgin Galactic Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The billionaire space race is on: Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson is on the crew for the next test flight of the company\u2019s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, which is scheduled to cross the 50-mile space frontier as early as July 11. That\u2019s nine days before Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos is planning his own suborbital space trip.<\/p>\n

Virgin Galactic\u2019s flight test plan, announced today, sets up a battle for the bragging rights associated with being the first person to ride his own company\u2019s rocket ship into space.<\/p>\n

Neither man would be the first billionaire in space. That distinction belongs to veteran Microsoft executive Charles Simonyi, who traveled to the International Space Station in 2007 and 2009.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the definition of the space frontier could add an asterisk to the record book: Virgin Galactic sides with the Federal Aviation Administration in defining the space boundary as the 50-mile-high mark. Blue Origin plans to send its New Shepard spaceship beyond the 100-kilometer (62-mile) altitude that currently serves as the internationally accepted boundary of space, known as the Karman Line.<\/p>\n

The height issue came up in an emailed statement from Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith, referring to Branson. \u201cWe wish him a great and safe flight, but they\u2019re not flying above the Karman Line and it\u2019s a very different experience,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

Previously:<\/strong> Jeff Bezos invites pioneering woman aviator Wally Funk to join him on space trip<\/h4>\n

Whether it\u2019s 50 miles or 100 kilometers, the suborbital race to space is likely to make for a dramatic few weeks, considering the risks that come with testing new space vehicles \u2014 not to mention the egos of the billionaire space barons.<\/p>\n

Virgin Galactic\u2019s SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity rocket plane has gone through more than 20 tests, including three crewed flight tests that soared higher than 50 miles. The company had planned to conduct one more flight test before putting Branson on board, but that schedule was changed after Bezos announced that he\u2019d go into space on July 20, the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.<\/p>\n

For the first time, Virgin Galactic will provide streaming video coverage of the entire flight on its website as well as its Twitter, Facebook and YouTube channels. Coverage is expected to begin at 9 a.m. ET \/ 7 a.m. MT \/ 6 a.m. PT on the day of the flight.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no guarantee that either billionaire will fly on the designated day. Technical issues or weather concerns could force postponements, adding to the drama.<\/p>\n

The goal of Virgin Galactic\u2019s next flight test is to evaluate the seats and other aspects of the cabin environment with a full crew. Branson and his crewmates will assess how it\u2019ll feel when customers get on board for a roughly 2.5-hour flight that includes a few minutes of weightlessness and a 50-mile-high view of the curving Earth.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ll also sample the training program at Virgin Galactic\u2019s terminal at New Mexico\u2019s Spaceport America, and demonstrate procedures for conducting human-tended research experiments.<\/p>\n