Virgin Galactic Millionaire Richard Branson returns to Earth after traveling into space: "Nothing can prepare you for something like this"
Ana Bru, The first Spanish woman with a ticket to travel to space: "It is the beginning of a new era"
Traveling into space in your own ship may seem like the latest eccentric whim of a new generation of billionaires, that of intrepid billionaires.
But the space race that Jeff Bezos (57), Elon Musk (50) and Richard Branson (70) have undertaken goes further.
In their hands is the key to space tourism, a promising sector that if it takes off, will not be just a business for these three tycoons who share their desire to emulate an astronaut, a desire that all three say they have since they were children.
It is expected to help lower the cost of the so far very expensive space technology, facilitating exploration missions to other parts of the Solar System - Muk is determined to travel to Mars - as well as giving the opportunity to more people, those who can afford it. , to see the Earth from space.
The starting gun was given on Sunday by the British Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, who managed to successfully complete one of the last tests of his
VSS Unity
spacecraft
, with which he intends to offer suborbital flights to tourists from 2022. An experience which he defined as "magical."
"I have dreamed of this moment since I was little but honestly nothing can prepare you for something like this," declared Branson visibly moved, after his grandchildren were thrown into his arms after returning to Earth.
The businessman did not wait to fly with his family on the program's first flight, as he had announced years ago - the plan, truncated by the 2014 accident in which a pilot died, was to start taking tourists in 2009-.
The businessman dared to get on the ship in one of the last tests, although it is not that he did it crazy.
The flight on Sunday that he carried out accompanied by two experienced pilots and three specialists, was preceded by a score of tests from the brand new Spaceport America, the spaceport built in the desert of New Mexico, in the United States, from which tourist flights will be offered.
Richard Branson uncorks a bottle of champagne after his suborbital flight
The takeoff was delayed by an hour and a half due to the weather and at around 4.30 p.m. (Peninsular time), the
Unity
spacecraft
took off attached to the manned mothership VMS Eve - named after Branson's mother. At 15 km they uncoupled and Branson's vehicle climbed to 85 kilometers in altitude, allowing him to enjoy a few minutes floating in zero gravity. The live broadcast from the Virgin website, led by Stephen Colbert, screenwriter, comedian and CBS presenter, left something to be desired and did not allow the takeoff to be followed live, although it was delayed. The flight lasted slightly less than initially announced (it was said that around an hour and a half) and at 5:40 p.m. we saw the tycoon land successfully.
Branson's daring allowed him to focus world attention yesterday and get ahead of his rival, Jeff Bezos, owner of Blue Origin, who before the British had announced that on July 20, coinciding with the anniversary of Apollo 11, he and his brother they would go on the first flight with astronauts from their ship,
New Shepard,
which will depart from Texas. With the Bezos brothers will travel the veteran pilot Wally Funk - who could not travel to space in the 60s because she was a woman - and a tourist whose identity has not yet been revealed and who has paid 23 million euros for the ticket.
But rivalry is not incompatible with friendship, and before getting on the ship, Branson was not only surrounded by a multitude of friends, many of them known as the veteran Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield or the singer Khalid, who entertained the after-party. landing in which there was no lack of champagne that Branson himself uncorked.
Rivals and friends
Branson shared an image with a very special visitor on his Twitter.
Elon Musk was with him to wish him luck.
«A great day ahead.
It's great to start the morning with a friend, "wrote Branson referring to Musk, who in September will make a flight for civilians with the
Crew Dragon
spacecraft
that NASA uses to take its astronauts to the Space Station (ISS), and is organizing a tourist trip around the Moon for 2023 whose tickets have been bought in its entirety by the Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa.
Elon Musk visited Branson on Sunday.
B.
«It is impossible to describe in words how you feel when you see the Earth from up there, it is of indescribable beauty.
I'm looking forward to all of you getting on board too, ”Branson said before announcing that he will give away two seats on his ship for a suborbital flight and a spaceport tour with him.
Tickets will be raffled among people who make donations through the Omaze.com website (the minimum contribution is $ 10).
At the moment, the price set for the 600 people -13 of them from Spain- who have reserved a place is 211,000 euros.
The package includes three days at the Spaceport, where they will be trained and undergo medical checks.
"We want to turn dreamers into the astronauts of today and tomorrow," insisted Branson.
WHERE DOES SPACE REALLY BEGIN?
Both Richard Branson with his company Virgin Galactic, and Jeff Bezos with Blue Origin, will perform suborbital flights that will allow passengers to experience zero gravity for a few minutes. But although the British is nine days ahead of the American, there is a question about who will actually make the first space trip. And Bezos has not missed the occasion to question whether Branson has traveled into space through his company's Twitter account.
Traditionally it is considered that the space begins at 100 km.
altitude, on the so-called Kármán line (which would mark the border between the atmosphere and outer space), although the aviation authorities admit in practice that it begins at 80 km.
Thus, the US Federal Aviation Administration, NOAA and NASA usually use the 80 km border.
and the Air Force grants the distinction of "astronaut wings" to those who fly above that altitude.
The International Space Station (ISS) where astronauts live, for example, orbits at 400 km.
Branson and his team during Sunday's suborbital flight
Well, although initially Branson's plan was for his
VSS Unity
ship to
reach an altitude of between 100 and 110 kilometers, in yesterday's test it only reached 85 km and in the previous test, 89 km. Jeff Bezos hopes to exceed 100 km. on July 20 with his rocket and his
New Sephard
spacecraft
. In other words, according to his company, the owner of Amazon will be the first to "really" go into space.
'From the beginning,
New Shepard
was designed to cross the Kármán line' so none of our astronauts will have an asterisk next to their name.
For 96% of the population, space begins at 100 km, "Blue Origin said in a tweet.
He was not the only company zasca from Bezos to Branson.
Blue Origin also contends that Virgin flights have a greater environmental impact.
Of course, they wished their rivals good luck and yesterday they congratulated them on their successful flight.
they congratulated their rival on his successful flight.
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