Richard Branson is in space nine days earlier than Jeff Bezos | Abroad

Virgin Galactic announced in a statement on Friday the date of the next test flight with its SpaceShipTwo Unity, with the disclaimer: “pending weather and technical checks.” Branson, who was supposed to be on a later flight, will be accompanied by three employees from the space company. They will investigate, among other things, “cabin conditions, seating comfort, feeling of weightlessness and view of the earth.” And all to ensure that for future astronauts “the wonder and awe that space travel creates is as optimal as possible.”

Virgin Galactic carries out its journeys by launching its rocket plane first coupled to a normal aircraft. After disconnecting, the rocket plane then moves to the edge of the atmosphere. The SpaceShipTwo Unity has been in space three times before.

Bezos takes his brother Mark and 82-year-old wife Wally Funk on Blue Origin’s first manned flight, as well as the winner of an auction that secured a spot in the rocket for $28 million. Funk has always wanted to be an astronaut and is now the oldest person ever to go into space.

Branson and Bezos aren’t the only billionaires involved in space travel. Tesla CEO Elon Musk also owns a space company, SpaceX. That company already carries out flights for NASA and launches commercial rockets that take satellites into space, among other things.

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