The Era of Private Space Travel Begins... Branson and Bezos Race to Space

Virgin Galactic, Test Flight on the 11th
Blue Origin to Carry Honorary Passenger

Richard Branson Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporters Kwon Jaehee and Kim Suhwan] The era of commercial space travel led by private companies has officially begun.

On the 11th (local time), Virgin Galactic, a space travel company led by British billionaire Richard Branson, is expected to conduct a test flight. Meanwhile, another space exploration competitor, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, has announced a space trip scheduled for the 20th. The competition surrounding space travel is intensifying.

On the 1st, Virgin Galactic announced that it will conduct a test flight on the 11th, with Branson himself aboard.

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

With this, Virgin Galactic will conduct its fourth test flight. The flight will carry two pilots and three scientists.

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

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

Previously, 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 with actual passengers as early as the beginning of next year.

Another private space exploration company, Blue Origin, will embark on a space trip on the 20th of this month.

Jeff Bezos (left), CEO of the American e-commerce company Amazon and founder of the space exploration company Blue Origin, is smiling brightly with his arm around Wally Funk, 82, who was selected as an "honorary passenger" for space travel on the 1st (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Blue Origin’s founder, Bezos, announced that he has selected Wally Funk (82) as the ‘honorary passenger’ to accompany this trip.

Funk passed NASA’s astronaut testing in the early 1960s with top marks but was not allowed to become an astronaut because she was a woman.

On the 20th, Funk will board Blue Origin’s space tourism rocket ‘New Shepard,’ launching from West Texas, and take an 11-minute space trip to the ‘Karman Line’ at an altitude of 100 km, considered the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space.

She will realize her long-unfulfilled dream of spaceflight after more than 60 years. Funk will be accompanied by Bezos, his younger brother Mark Bezos, and an anonymous bidder who won the ticket for this space trip at an auction for $28 million (approximately 31.26 billion KRW), among three others.

Funk said it was "fantastic" to finally have the opportunity to go to space. In a video posted on Instagram, she wrote, "I will love every moment of the trip" and "I can’t wait."

Funk is expected to be recorded as the oldest person to travel to space.

Until now, the oldest space traveler was astronaut John Glenn, who passed away in 2016.

Glenn set the record as the oldest person at age 77 when he boarded the space shuttle ‘Discovery’ in 1998.

Bezos wrote on Instagram, "No one has waited longer than Funk," adding, "The time has come. Welcome to the crew, Funk."

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