90 minute flight to Richard Branson What could open a new window to eternity for ordinary humans as their Virgin Galactic Company takes its biggest step to make space travel a reality for everyone. Accompanied by an Indian-origin passenger, Branson is set to show the world that space flight is simple and safe, as he seeks to flag it off in what many have said will be a new space age. Here’s what you need to know.
Who is Richard Branson?
Synonymous with his Virgin Group, the $5.5 billion British-born serial entrepreneur described himself on his Twitter handle as a “tie-loathing adventurer, philanthropist and troubleshooter who believes in turning ideas into reality”. Known for his flamboyant and temperamental ways, Branson says he was “otherwise known as Dr. Yes” at Virgin Group, a company whose roots were in a music store he founded in London in the 1970s. had opened. In more than 50 years of business travel – his first venture was a magazine called ‘Student’, the first edition of which launched in the UK in 1966 – Branson has worked in everything from airlines to cosmetics.
If he’s one of the most famous faces in the business world, Branson also has an adventurous side, which has seen him set records in powerboat racing and hot-air ballooning. His profile on the Virgin website states that Branson describes Virgin Galactic, the company with which he is pursuing its spaceflight plans, “the biggest adventure of all”.
How far is he flying in space?
Earlier this month, Virgin Galactic said that “the flight window for Spaceship to Unity’s next rocket-powered test flight opens on July 11, pending weather and technical investigations”. The mission has been called “Unity 22” because it is the 22nd flight test for the VSS Unity, the vessel on which Branson and five others are heading to the edge of space. It is also the company’s fourth crewed spaceflight and the first to carry “a full crew of two pilots and four mission specialists in the cabin” including Branson, who will “test the personal astronaut experience”.
The culmination of 16 years of work, the Unity 22 mission will carry six crew members about 90 km above Earth’s surface to the imaginary line where the atmosphere ends and space begins. It is a place from where travelers can see the earth lit up with the black color of space and can also feel zero gravity.
“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 forefront of a new commercial space industry, one that aims to open up space for mankind and make the world better. is ready to change for the time being,” Branson said in a statement announcing the launch.
What is the ship that carried Branson into space?
According to Virgin Galactic, its spaceflight system actually consists of two vehicles – the carrier aircraft VSS Eve, named after Branson’s mother, and the SpaceShipTwo (SS2) VSS Unity spaceplane. With the spacecraft, VSS Eve takes off from a runway before climbing to an altitude of 50,000 feet.
Once at the desired altitude, the VSS will release the Eve spacecraft, whose rocket is then ignited, “sending the craft into space” at a speed slightly over Mach 3. The spacecraft eventually reaches an altitude of 300,000 feet, or about 90 km, above Earth’s surface. En route, first, “the ship’s wings are raised 60 degrees[and]… After the ship has descended into the dense atmosphere, the wings are lowered and the pilot glides the spacecraft to a smooth landing on the same runway. does”.
“The total duration of the flight is approximately 90 minutes with several minutes of weightlessness,” Virgin Galactic said.
Who are Branson’s fellow travelers?
The first voyage with a full crew, the Unity 22 mission has been designed to “focus on the objectives of the cabin and customer experience” and to aim for, among other things, “cabin environment, seat comfort, weightless experience and views of the earth.” Will evaluate the spacecraft saves”.
With those goals in mind, the flight seats will be filled by key personnel at Virgin Galactic, including Indian-origin Sirisha Bandala, the company’s vice president, who will “evaluate the human-driven research experience.” Chawla is set to become the third Indian-origin woman to fly in space after Sunita Williams, both of whom were part of the US space agency NASA’s mission.
Other crew members accompanying Branson and Bandala in the cabin are Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses and the company’s chief operations engineer Colin Bennett.
The carrier aircraft will be flown by two pilots, while the space plane will be piloted by Dave McKay and Michael Masucci, who are part of the company’s team of eight pilots.
How soon will tickets to go to space be available?
Virgin Galactic said in a statement that “there are approximately 600 future astronauts from 60 countries who have reservations for a Virgin Galactic flight”. It further said that around 1,000 people have “deposited” with the company’s ‘One Small Step’ program and they “will be at the forefront of firm seat reservations once they become available”.
Virgin Galactic has said it is on track to launch commercial space travel in 2022. However, before that “there will be two more test flights in the coming months, including a revenue-generating flight.
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But Branson’s company won’t be the only option for those traveling to the edge of space. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is also flying into the same area of space with his Blue Origin company later this month, which is looking to begin commercial spaceflight operations.
Where can you watch the Virgin Galactic launch?
Virgin Galactic invites “viewers around the world to participate virtually” at Sunday’s launch and the event will be livestreamed on virgingalactic.com, with feeds also available on the Virgin Galactic Twitter, YouTube and Facebook channels.
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