Virgin Galactic: Branson makes space travel his next frontier
His entrepreneurial spirit will not be put down easily, not by a technical glitch or by any other trouble at hand. Billionaire Richard Branson launched his latest space tourism project amidst a flight technical glitch that grounded his airline company Virgin Blue.
Branson introduced his new brand Virgin Galactic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, encouraging people that in 18 months space travel will now be for everyone to enjoy.
He and his team with his latest pioneering project would make commercial space travel and even hotel space accommodation possible.
Branson said in a business conference in Kuala Lumpur that they have commenced the construction of SpaceShip Two and targeting March for its maiden voyage into outer space after another 18 months.
With fare starting at $200,000, Virgin Galactic's unique spacecraft created by Burt Rutan will likely take passengers into a into suborbital space.
Branson noted that as early as now there are already 330 people, who have paid as much as $45 million to be among the first to venture into space using Virgin Galactic's spacecraft.
He also plans to establish hotel accommodations in space, which tourists can use as take off points to get to the moon.
Branson also likes to build small satellites for the use of schools and universities.
At Zero Gravity
The Virgin Galactic's Spaceship Two craft, according to project briefing documents, will launch into space with the aid of another bigger ship called the White Knight Two (WK2).
Passengers will be able to view the Earth from viewing windows next to their seats, and be allowed to unbuckle their seatbelts and float in zero gravity.