space industry. from spaceport america in new mexico here s sophie long. preparations were made before take off. about 10 years and 1.5 hours behind schedule, in one of the most desolate areas of north america, a lifelong dream became reality. sir richard branson, along with two pilots and three other virgin galactic employees, were transported to the spaceship unity tethered to the mothership eve. then take off. this is the moment he s been waiting for. after more than 16 years and hundreds of millions of pounds, sir richard branson is now on his way to space. that s so cool. so, you can see the moment when they release right there. kelly, are you so excited to experience that? forjust under four minutes, they experienced weightlessness and enjoyed a view of planet earth that only astronauts can dream of. well, i ve done some ridiculous things in my lifetime.
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SIR Richard Branson has declared the dawn of a new space age after successfully blasting off on a groundbreaking space mission.
The 70-year-old made history by beating Elon Musk to become the first billionaire in space, before safely returning to earth in his Virgin Galactic rocket plane. Read our Richard Branson space flight live blog for the latest updates.
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Billionaire Richard Branson smiles on board VSS Unity before starting its untethered ascent to the edge of spaceCredit: Reuters
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Virgin Galactic s passenger rocket plane VSS Unity, carrying billionaire Richard Branson and crew, starts its ascent to the edge of space above Spaceport AmericaCredit: Reuters
Everything you need to know about Richard Branson going to space abc57.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from abc57.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
for sir richard branson, this is one small step for a billionaire, one giant leap for mankind. tim allman, bbc news. 0ur correspondent sophie long is as at the launch site and sent this update. i am at the world s first purpose built commercial spaceport where, in a couple of hours, a lifelong dream could become a reality when sir richard branson along with two pilots and two other three crew members are due to fly to the edge of space. the launchtime has already been pushed back by an hour and a half due to weather conditions overnight but the sun is now rising and we are being told that everything is looking good and in a couple of hours time we should see the spaceship unity launch from the two mile run beside me along with ship beside me and after 45 minutes. it should detach from the mothership and rocket to the edge of space, 50 miles above the surface of the earth. this has been more than 16 years in the making,
returned from the edge of space, during virgin galactic s first fully crewed flight. take off from new mexico was slightly delayed by bad weather but the flight is being seen as a milestone for the commencial space industry. sir richard said it was the experience of a lifetime. from spaceport america in new mexico, here s sophie long. preparations were made before take off. about ten years, and an hour and a half behind schedule, in one of the most desolate areas of north america, a lifelong dream became reality. sir richard branson, along with two pilots and three other virgin galactic employees, were transported to the spaceship unity tethered to the mothership eve. then take off. this is the moment he s been waiting for. after more than 16 years, and hundreds of millions of pounds, sir richard branson is now on his way to space. that s so cool. so you can see the moment when they release right there. forjust under four minutes, they experienced weightlessness and enjoyed a view of p