Richard Branson Becomes the First Billionaire to Reach Space

Richard Branson, the thrill-seeking billionaire, has entered space on his own winged rocket ship, bringing Astro-tourism one step closer to reality.

(Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson(L), with Sirisha Bandla on his shoulders, cheers with crew members after flying into space aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel, a voyage he described as the "experience of a lifetime" -- and one he hopes will usher in an era of lucrative space tourism at Spaceport America

Richard Branson Has Finally Reached Space

In a recently published article in Associated Press, Branson, who is almost 71 years old, and five Virgin Galactic crew members flew across the New Mexico desert at a height of 53.5 miles or 86 kilometers.

Richard Branson and his team were weightless for three to four minutes, seeing the Earth's curvature before gliding back to a runway landing. On his return onboard the dazzling white space aircraft called Unity, Branson remarked "The whole thing, it was just magical," according to a published article in U.S. News.

Branson beat Bezos, the world's wealthiest man, by nine days to become the first person and billionaire to blast off in his own spacecraft. He was also the second septuagenarian to go to the moon. At the age of 77, astronaut John Glenn flew aboard the shuttle in 1998.

Branson Receives Commendation for the Success of his Space Flight

"Can't wait to join the club!" Bezos wrote on his social media account. He did, however, go to Twitter a few days before to list the ways he thinks his company's tourist trips would be improved, according to an article in Market Watch.

From the sidelines, retired Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, a one-time commander of the International Space Station, expressed his excitement at what this open door would lead to today. He also said that it was a memorable occasion.

Meanwhile, the flamboyant Virgin Atlantic Airways founder, who was born in London, was not originally scheduled to fly until later this summer. However, when Bezos revealed intentions to launch his own rocket into orbit from Texas on July 20, the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, he allocated himself to an earlier mission. Branson vehemently claimed that he was attempting to outdo Bezos.

Furthermore, Elon Musk, Branson's other main competitor in the battle for space tourism among the world's wealthiest men, traveled to New Mexico to observe and congratulate Branson on a "great flight."

Previous Test Flights of Virgin Galactic

The dangers to Branson and his team were highlighted in 2007, when three employees were killed during a rocket motor test in California's Mojave Desert, and again in 2014, when a Virgin Galactic rocket aircraft broke apart during a test flight, killing one pilot and severely wounding the other, according to a report in Channel News Asia.

With all confidence in his latest flight, Branson insisted on a worldwide webcast of the launch on Sunday morning and invited celebrities and former space station astronauts to Spaceport America in New Mexico. Khalid, an R&B artist, performed his new song "New Normal" while Stephen Colbert hosted the event.

Reservations and Cost of Tickets

With tickets starting at $250,000 each, Virgin Galactic has already received over 600 reservations from would-be space travelers. Branson also announced a sweepstake drawing for two tickets on a Virgin Galactic flight upon his return to Earth.

Meanwhile, Blue Origin is holding off on releasing ticket pricing until the price of its tickets are announced. Instead of an air-launched, reusable space aircraft, Blue Origin and Musk's SpaceX both fly Apollo-style, with capsules atop rockets.