British billionaire Richard Branson landed safely in New Mexico on Sunday after his flight into space, according to an AFP reporter there.

A trip he had always dreamed of and which marks a turning point for space tourism.

The VSS Unity spacecraft, which also carried two pilots and three other passengers, touched down on a runway at Spaceport America Base, New Mexico at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time (4:40 p.m. GMT).

A "once in a lifetime experience"

Richard Branson, still aboard the ship coming down to earth, described a "once in a lifetime experience".

He is the first billionaire to have made the trip in a device developed by a company he himself founded, beating Jeff Bezos who is due to rob him on July 20.

Watch our # Unity22 spaceflight live @virgingalactic https://t.co/J2M2u4H2hP

- Richard Branson (@richardbranson) July 11, 2021

The Briton embarked, with three other passengers and two pilots, aboard the suspended vessel, taking off, under a carrier plane.

The latter gained altitude for about fifty minutes before jettisoning the spacecraft which ignited its own engine to begin a supersonic ascent.

Objective: to exceed 80 km in altitude, the height set in the United States for the border of space.

Once the engine is off, passengers can detach from their seats to float for a few minutes in zero gravity, and admire the curvature of the Earth from one of the cabin's 12 portholes.

After a peak at about 90 km altitude, the ship will descend while hovering.

Daredevil

The eccentric 70-year-old billionaire, founder of the Virgin group (whose activities range from an airline to fitness), has long cultivated his hothead image.

“When I was a kid, I wanted to go to space.

As it did not seem likely for my generation, I registered the name of Virgin Galactic, with the idea of ​​creating a company which could make it possible ”, had written Richard Branson a few days before the departure.

An objective that almost came to an end in 2014: the in-flight accident of a Virgin Galactic vessel had caused the death of a pilot, considerably delaying the program.

Since then, VSS Unity has reached three times the space, including with a female passenger in 2019, before its fourth success this Sunday.

Regular flights in 2022?

Now, Virgin Galactic plans two new test flights, then the start of regular commercial operations for early 2022. And ultimately aims to conduct 400 flights per year from Spaceport America.

Some 600 tickets have already been sold to people from 60 different countries - including Hollywood celebrities - for a price of between $ 200,000 and $ 250,000.

Even if Richard Branson keeps repeating that according to him, “space belongs to all of us”, the adventure therefore remains within the reach of only the privileged.

"On my return (from space), I will announce something very exciting to allow more people to become astronauts," he had promised before his flight.

The competition in the space tourism sector, whose imminent advent has been announced for years, has accelerated tremendously this month: the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, is also due to fly on the 20th. July, with its own rocket, named New Shepard and developed by its company Blue Origin.

The latter published a table this week extolling its merits over those of Virgin Galactic.

Jeff Bezos had nevertheless wished on Instagram "a successful flight" to Richard Branson.

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