Branson's space plans begin to take flight
Published Date:
24 January 2008
By Wesley Johnson
SIR Richard Branson, the Virgin tycoon, hailed the "year of the spaceship" yesterday as he unveiled the designs of two crafts that might take his first tourists into space.
Work on SpaceShipTwo, and its mothership, White Knight Two, is nearing completion and flight tests begin later this year.
Sir Richard said this "historic occasion" could help "to answer key questions about Earth's climate and the mysteries of the universe". More than 200 people have joined the firm's cadre of future astronauts, with 80 having been through its medical assessment and centrifuge training. Speaking at the America Museum of Natural History in New York, Sir Richard said: "Seeing the planet from out there, helps one to wake up to the … importance of protecting Earth."
The WK2 mothership, the world's largest all-carbon composite aircraft, is expected to begin flight-testing in the summer.
The full article contains 149 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
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Last Updated:
24 January 2008 12:21 AM
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Source:
The Scotsman
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Location:
Edinburgh
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Related Topics:
Virgin
