Branson Blasts Off

Sunday 11th July

Clash of two planet-sized egos: Tomorrow Richard Branson is set to soar into the heavens - just a week before Jeff Bezos does the same. So are they boldly going for the sake of mankind... or is the race to space astronomical hubris, asks GUY ADAMS

Back in May, Bezos unveiled grandiose plans to lift off aboard New Shepard, a phallic rocket built by his firm Blue Origin, on July 20: the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing.

'To see Earth from space . . . changes your relationship with humanity,' claims Bezos modestly.

Then Branson announced last week that he's going to zip into a blue jumpsuit and clamber aboard Virgin Galactic ship VSS Unity in New Mexico tomorrow morning (at 2pm UK time), a full nine days before Bezos's scheduled launch.

But he denies this is an attempt to upstage his much richer American rival. 'It's honestly not a race,' Branson said earlier this week. 'If it's a race, it's a race to produce wonderful spaceships that can make many more people be able to access space. And I think that's both of our aims. I spoke to him two or three weeks ago, and we both wished each other well.'

So which billionaire rocket man will win this high-stakes duel? How will they do it? And what are the chances of it ending in disaster?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9773993/GUY-ADAMS-Tomorrow-Richard-Branson-set-soar-heavens-just-week-Jeff-Bezos.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK

He'll be back in time for Lunch. Hopefully

Wish him well. Hope he enjoys his trip and doesn't get lost up there...!!!

stream goes live at 1.30 pm our time


http://www.virgingalactic.com/

Might be worth watching then...Hmmmmm...

The experience

TAKEOFF
Our launches begin with a smooth runway takeoff before our spaceship and mothership climb together to just below 50,000 feet. Once past the thickest layers of atmosphere, our ships don’t require huge amounts of fuel to reach space. We call this energy-efficient, flight-like ride an Air-Launch.

LAUNCH
Next, our pilot releases spaceship from mothership. The spaceship’s rocket ignites, sending the craft up to space a little over Mach 3. The colors outside the window change from blue to indigo to midnight black as you reach space and the rocket motor switches off.

APOGEE
Nearly 300,000 feet above Earth, the cabin becomes your playground to unbuckle and experience weightlessness. The planet peers back at you through the ship’s 17 windows as you see home for the first time. 16 cameras throughout the cabin record every moment of the experience in HD.

RE-ENTRY
Preparing for re-entry, the ship’s wings raise up 60 degrees. After the ship descends to thick atmosphere, the wings are lowered and the pilot glides the spaceship to a smooth landing back on the same runway you took off from. And just like that, you’re home.

Lolly wrote:stream goes live at 1.30 pm our time


http://www.virgingalactic.com/

Weather problems I expect Time has changed to 3 .30pm

If it changes again to 8pm then no one will watch it lift off.....

Delayed due to prior weather

Not a good start so far

Prior weather

They've arrived



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9777365/Richard-Branson-beat-rivals-billionaire-leave-earth-rocket-ship-today.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK

All systems go

after all the hype I missed it

They're filling their pants, nearly time to release the rocket

They need to get to 45000 feet to launch. They are nearly there

What's that all about," its like a thermometer going up your body" comment

I laughed at that

I didn't see any portaloos at the landing site

The doctor is giving them the once over