Richard Branson flies into space with Virgin Galactic

British tycoon Richard Branson launched into space aboard the Virgin Galactic spacecraft. The long-awaited launch from Virgin Galactic’s American Spaceport in the New Mexico desert was slightly delayed due to bad weather. The spacecraft, which carries Branson and five other astronauts, was dubbed Spaceflight Unity 22 and took the group to an altitude of approximately 85 kilometers, which the Federal Aviation Administration recognizes as the boundary of space, according to the Washington Post. A journey that lasted about 90 minutes. “It was the experience of a lifetime,” said Branson, who had been developing the spacecraft for 17 years with his Virgin Galactic. ‘in the context of a race for space tourism that sees, among others, the billionaire Jeff Bezos, who on July 20 plans to leave with the New Shepard, the shuttle built by his company, Blue Origin. to sell space travel at the price of 250 thousand dollars. And, according to the Sunday Times, Tesla CEO Elon Musk would have bought a ticket for a future space trip organized by his rival. According to reports, Musk paid an advance of $ 10,000 to book a ticket. The date was not specified. Branson confirmed the news, adding that he could buy a ticket for a Musk SpaceX flight in the future. “Elon is a friend and maybe someday I’ll fly one of his spacecraft,” he said.