When Richard Branson boarded one of his sleek, shiny space planes this weekend, Virgin Galactic will be the first rocket company to launch its boss.
The adventurer and troublemaker who claims to hate ties will join five company employees on Sunday’s test flight from the southern desert of New Mexico—this is the company’s fourth trip to the edge of space.
Branson assigned himself to Virgin Galactic’s first official crew, ahead of Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos, who is a wealthier rocket player who hopes to send himself into space. Bezos will take off from West Texas on July 20.
Briefly introduce Branson’s riding and companionship:
Boss on the boat
With only one week left before the age of 71, the founder of the London-born Virgin Group stated that he “is not worried at all. It is his life’s dream to travel in space.” The long-time fitness enthusiast put in extra effort to prepare for the short up and down flight. “I’m now in my 70s, so you can either let go or get healthy and enjoy life.” When he boarded a rocket plane connected to a twin-fuselage plane to take off, his wife, children and grandson will be there. In the course of three to four minutes of weightlessness, “I will look back at our beautiful earth, absorb it all, and then realize that only 500 people have done this.” Actually close to 600, but still a relatively small one. digital. After landing, he would celebrate with a “big smile on my face”.
Who else is flying
From the time the rocket plane is released from the mothership into space, until it lands on the runway, two pilots are required to fly the rocket plane. This will be Chief Pilot David McKay’s third space journey. David McKay is a Scottish-born Royal Air Force test pilot who later flew to Branson at Virgin Atlantic and is also Chief Flight Instructor Michael Massu Qi’s second space journey. Former NASA engineer and chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses (Beth Moses) will also conduct a second launch. Joining Branson as a rookie in space are Chief Operating Engineer Colin Bennett and Vice President Silisa Bandera. The six will take the elevator from the mothership pilot CJ Sturckow, former NASA astronaut and Kelly Latimer.
Rocket plane
Virgin Galactic’s space plane Unity will take off with a specially designed two-person plane named Eve after Branson’s late mother. After reaching nearly 50,000 feet (15,000 meters), the aircraft will be released and descend for a minute or two, and then the rocket engine will ignite, causing the aircraft to climb steeply into space with a climb force exceeding 3 G, which is three times the gravity of the earth. Once the spacecraft reaches space, The engine will shut down—the estimated maximum altitude is about 55 miles (88 kilometers)—when everyone except the pilot unbuckles, floats and stares at the 17 windows of the earth and the black void, the entire spacecraft is silently shrouded Space. After a few minutes of weightlessness, when the plane is redirected to enter, passengers will re-fasten their seat belts_fold the wings and then fold them back with a unique technique called feathering. The rocket plane will slide back in the style of NASA’s space shuttle, ending about 15 minutes of free flight.
Track record
Virgin Galactic was founded in 2004 when Branson worked with aircraft designer Bert Rutan to provide the necessary spacecraft technology. A rocket engine test in the Mojave Desert, California in 2007 killed three workers and injured three. Then in 2014, the Rocket Aircraft Enterprise, named after the “Star Trek” ship, broke during a test flight. One pilot died and the other was seriously injured. The replacement spacecraft Unity named by the late physicist Stephen Hawking began flight testing in 2016. It took two pilots to the edge of space for the first time in 2018 and 2019, both from the Mojave Desert. Operations moved to the US Spaceport in New Mexico, where the aircraft took off on May 22, realizing the company’s third space flight.
What’s next
After the launch in Branson, Virgin Galactic plans to conduct two more test flights this summer and fall before inviting paying customers to board the flight. The next one will include more company employees, and the last one will have members of the Italian Air Force conducting research. If all goes well, the first of more than 600 confirmed ticket holders will board the ship next year. The company plans to reopen bookings after Branson’s surge. The initial ticket is $250,000; there is no word on whether this will change. Branson promised to bring surprises after his journey, “Let more people have the opportunity to become astronauts_because space belongs to all of us.” At the same time, scientists are waiting in line for research, including Ai of Southwest Research Institute Leinstein, he is behind NASA’s New Horizons Pluto and other missions.
The Associated Press Department of Health and Science is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. AP is solely responsible for all content.
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