The billionaire is testing an airplane created by his company
There are two pilots and 4 passengers on board
Passengers experience 5 minutes of weightlessness
British billionaire Richard Branson became today the first owner of a space technology company to fly into space, and thus overtook the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, who will have such a flight on July 20, the BBC reported.
Shortly after 6.30 pm Bulgarian time, Branson’s two-hull jet carrying the Unity spacecraft of Virgin Galactic took off over the desert in the US state of New Mexico.
This is Unity’s first test flight to the edge of space at full capacity – two pilots and four passengers. Pilots Dave Mackay and Michael Masuchi control the ignition and shutdown of the rocket engine and will activate the tail of the aircraft for the return maneuver. Branson was also on board, accompanied by three senior company officials. These are Beth Moses, chief instructor of astronauts at Virgin Galactic, chief engineer Colin Bennett, and Sirisha Bandla, vice president of research.
Branson’s official test flight mission is to evaluate the space tourist experience. His impressions will be used to improve the conditions for future customers, the company explained.
Rich №1 in the world departs on July 20
An unknown person paid $ 28 million for a ticket to New Shepard
Jeff Bezos will fly aboard a rocket developed by his company Blue Origin.
The richest man in the world – Jeff Bezos, will fly into space on July 20, the anniversary of the first landing on the moon in 1969.
The New Shepard reusable rocket, developed by Bezos Blue Origin, was named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
On board will be Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, 82-year-old Wally Funk, who was preparing for astronaut decades ago, and the mysterious owner of a sold-at $ 28 million ticket.
This will be the first manned flight to New Shepard.
After launch, the 6-seater capsule will rise to a height of more than 100 kilometers from the earth’s surface and thus will cross the Carman line – the boundary beyond which space begins.
The capsule will remain there for only about 10-15 minutes, after which it will descend with three large parachutes.
Meanwhile, the launch vehicle will have returned to a site 3 km from the launch site.
– .
