Richard Branson launches space flight as Virgin Galactic takes off

Richard Branson’s private space tourism company has launched its first flight carrying the billionaire, two pilots, and three mission specialists to the fringes of space.

The VSS Unity spaceplane was launched in mid-air after dropping from the belly of its mothership at an altitude of about 9.4 miles (15km) before its rocket fires the craft and its crew into sub-orbital space 50 miles (80km) above the Earth.

The British entrepreneur announced his plan to reach space nine days before Amazon boss Jeff Bezos is set to launch aboard his own mission. Although there are questions about whether Virgin Galactic’s maximum altitude of 80km actually qualifies as space.

The mothership took off from the Spaceport America runway in New Mexico approximately an hour later than initially planned due to bad weather on Sunday.

After releasing from the mothership – at approximately 4.25pm UK time – the VSS Unity spaceplane will reach its maximum altitude and the six crew on board will experience a few minutes of microgravity before the rocket motor will turn off and spaceplane glide to its landing.

As part of the return trip, a feathering system will slow and stabilises the craft as it drops through the atmosphere towards the Earth.

Last December Virgin Galactic aborted a landmark test flight of its rocket-powered space plane, despite everything getting the all-clear a minute before launch.