Another billionaire is being sent into space, with the Virgin Galactic founder slated to be a passenger on the SpaceShipTwo Unity test flight.
Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has named July 11 as the opening of the flight window for its next rocket-powered test flight of its SpaceShipTwo (SS2) VSS Unity operation. The «Unity 22» mission will be the 22nd flight test for VSS Unity and the company’s fourth crewed spaceflight. It will also be the first to carry a full crew of two pilots and four mission specialists in the cabin, including Branson himself. Joining the company’s founder will be Virgin Galactic chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses, who will serve as cabin lead and test director in space; lead operations engineer Colin Bennett; and VP of government affairs and research operations Sirisha Bandla. Branson will evaluate the «private astronaut experience», Virgin Galactic said, and undergo the same training, preparation, and flight as the company’s future astronauts. The company has more than 600 customers who have put their hands up to be one of the first to pay some $250,000 to be sent into space. «I truly believe that space belongs to all of us. After more than 16 years of research, engineering, and testing, Virgin Galactic stands at the vanguard of a new commercial space industry, which is set to open space to humankind and change the world for good,» Branson said.
