Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic to Board Test Flight on 11th for 'Space Travel'

Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic (first on the right)
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Virgin Galactic, the space travel company led by British billionaire Richard Branson, is expected to conduct a test flight on the 11th. With Branson himself scheduled to board the spacecraft and join the test flight, attention is focused on whether he will be the first to go to space, beating space exploration rivals Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.

On the 1st (local time), Virgin Galactic announced that it will conduct a test flight on the 11th and that Branson will also be on board for this flight.

Branson released a statement saying, "After 16 years of research, Virgin Galactic has reached a position to lead the space travel industry," and added, "I am honored to participate in the journey to complete space travel that can offer travelers a special experience."

Following this announcement, Virgin Galactic's stock price rose 25% from the previous trading day to $54.18 in after-hours trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

This will be Virgin Galactic's fourth test flight. According to Virgin Galactic, the flight is expected to last about 20 seconds, with Branson, two pilots, and three scientists on board.

Virgin Galactic plans to use this test flight to experience the cabin environment in advance and derive ways to improve it in the future. Additionally, this test flight will be the first for Virgin Galactic to be broadcast live on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

Earlier, on the 25th of last month, Virgin Galactic obtained the first-ever space tourism license from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The company plans to start a space travel program carrying actual passengers as early as the beginning of next year.

Virgin Galactic was founded in 2004 by Branson for space tourism. The company competes in the space tourism sector with Blue Origin, led by Bezos, and SpaceX, led by Musk.

Bezos previously announced that Blue Origin's first test flight will take place on the 20th of this month, and he also plans to board the spacecraft himself.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.