- Title: Virgin Galactic flight carrying Richard Branson blasts off
- Date: 11th July 2021
- Summary: TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES (JULY 11, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VIRGIN GALACTIC VSS UNITY ROCKET PLANE CARRYING VIRGIN FOUNDER RICHARD BRANSON TAKING OFF FROM SPACEPORT OF AMERICA IN NEW MEXICO
- Embargoed: 25th July 2021 16:00
- Keywords: Bezos Richard Branson Virgin Galactic space tourism test flight
- Location: TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES
- City: TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NEW MEXICO, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Science,Space Exploration,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001ELECITJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A twin-fuselage jet took off on Sunday (July 11) carrying a Virgin Galactic rocket plane primed to soar more than 50 miles above the New Mexico desert with British billionaire Richard Branson aboard in the vehicle's first fully crewed test flight to space.
Branson, one of six Virgin Galactic Holding Inc. employees strapping in for the flight, has touted the mission as a precursor to a new era of space tourism, with the company he founded poised to begin commercial operations next year.
Sunday's high-altitude launch of the VSS Unity rocket plane marks the company's 22nd test flight of its SpaceShipTwo system and its fourth crewed mission beyond Earth's atmosphere. It is also the first to carry a full complement of space travelers - two pilots and four "mission specialists," Branson among them.
The gleaming white spaceplane was borne aloft attached to the underside of a specially designed twin-fuselage carrier jet VMS Eve - named for Branson's late mother, which took off at around 10:40 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT).
(Production: Julio-Cesar Chavez; Ashraf Fahim) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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