![]() Upon hearing that his rival Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and financial backer of Branson’s space flight competitor Blue Origin, planned to launch himself into space on July 20, 2021, Branson’s team sped up their launch plans several weeks to beat Bezos to the punch. However, delays and a disastrous inflight breakup of the VSS Enterprise in 2014 set the project back many years as the revised spacecraft designs were developed and tested. But, as it turns out, both the financial investment and the projects were real, and it was hoped the first space flight would take place by 2010. In 2004, Branson announced a new venture, Virgin Galactic, which would take tourists into space.Īt the time, many discounted this as nothing more than one of Branson’s many audacious publicity stunts. Richard Branson, Founder Virgin Records and later Virgin GalacticĪfter establishing himself as a media mogul built on the success of his Virgin Records label, Richard Branson’s next act was to expand his brand into air travel by launching Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia airlines. Let’s take a closer look at today’s billionaire space explorers. It also reminds us of the fierce competition in 1911 to be the first explorer to reach the South Pole, a race in which Norway’s Roald Amundsen ultimately prevailed, and Britain’s Robert Falcon Scott tragically perished. In either case, one thing is certain: private space travel is a rich man’s game, especially considering that only a few of the wealthiest countries in the world have the financial means to mount a successful trip to the edge of space. Or are you one of the cynics who dismiss it as more “bread and circuses” to entertain the masses? ![]() What is your take on billionaires Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos rocketing up into space?ĭo you see it as a welcome distraction from the world’s woes of fire, flood, and pandemic?
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