Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic blast into space | LiveNOW from FOX
There was no pre-launch warning or coverage before Richard Branson and five others blasted into space on Sunday, July 11, from Spaceport America in New Mexico.
TUSTIN, California. – Virgin Galactic announced Tuesday that it has secured land to build an astronaut facility and campus to prepare civilians for commercial space travel.
The aerospace company said the astronaut campus will be located in Sierra County, New Mexico, near the company’s commercial operations headquarters, Spaceport America.
The company said the space will house future astronauts and up to three of its guests before their space flight.
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The campus will have training facilities, an observatory, a wellness center and recreational activities, as well as dining options. The company said the buildings will have minimal impact on the surrounding environment with water conservation tools and reuse, environmentally friendly materials.
Richard Branson: The Remarkable Experience of a Lifetime on a Virgin Galactic Flight | LiveNOW from FOX
Sir Richard Branson speaks after touching the edge of space before the space plane successfully landed back on Earth.
“At Virgin Galactic, the road to space begins in New Mexico, and we’re proud to showcase the state as the launch point for our unique and unparalleled experience,” Blair Rich, Virgin Galactic President and Chief Business Officer, Commercial and Consumer Operations. said in a press release.
“Customers who purchase a ticket today will stay and train here, along with their guests, for five nights. While our future astronauts are completing space flight training, their guests will experience an itinerary of tailored discovery and educational experiences on campus and throughout southern New Mexico,” he continued.
Company executives said conceptual design of the campus has already begun, but did not give a specific date for when it will open.
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The ticket window has opened again for space flights on Virgin Galactic, with prices starting at $450,000 per seat.
The company’s next space flight is scheduled for late September in New Mexico with the Italian Air Force.
Unlike Blue Origin and SpaceX’s fully automated capsules launched from Earth with reusable rockets, Virgin Galactic uses a winged spacecraft that launches from the belly of an airplane and requires a pair of pilots. It has reached space three times since 2018. The second trip carried a third employee of the company.
Last month, Virgin Galactic announced it had chosen the Phoenix suburb of Mesa as the site where it will assemble its next class of rocket ships with the facility capable of producing up to six spacecraft a year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
