Richard Branson thanks 'good friend' Elon
Musk for being 'typically supportive' as
Virgin Galactic boss counts down hours to
leaving Amazon chief Jeff Bezos in the dust
just nine days before he lifts off
Daily Mail (UK),
by
Raven Saunt
,
Ryan Morrison
&
Rory Tingle
Original Article
Posted By: Imright,
7/10/2021 10:39:52 PM
Sir Richard Branson has thanked Elon Musk for being 'typically supportive' as the Virgin Galactic boss counts down the hours to becoming the world's first billionaire to blast into space on Sunday's historic flight. The British billionaire, 70, will fly to the edge of space - nine days before 'rival' Jeff Bezos - on a craft built by his own company after declaring it is 'time to turn my dream into reality'.Branson will travel on VSS Unity, which will launch from mothership VMS Eve on July 11, with a live stream of the event starting at 14:00 BST (09:00 ET) from Spaceport America in New Mexico.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 7/10/2021 10:44:05 PM (No. 841802)
These rich guys sure play a tough game, no? While the commoners on mother earth struggle to make it.
6 people like this.
I won't be that upset if Bezos ends up as orbital confetti at the end of his flight. I have no special interest in Branson one way or another, but I would be hoping that my craft had as little of Musk's technology in it as possible.
9 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
Catherine 7/10/2021 11:22:39 PM (No. 841830)
So why are they doing this? What do they hope to accomplish. Do they realize they probably won't make it back in one pieces. Rich men and their toys.
6 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
JHHolliday 7/10/2021 11:50:13 PM (No. 841855)
I am no particular fan of either man although they both seem smart and charismatic. At least they are paying for their own rides and trusting their own technology. Let’s hope their faith in their technology is not misplaced.
14 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
DVC 7/11/2021 3:05:45 AM (No. 841904)
Odds are very much the opposite of what you suppose, #3. I'd bet 99.5% or better probability of each spacecraft returning safely. Not like a trip to the store, of course, but not a suicidal stunt, either.
Bringing the cost of a flight into space down by a factor of about 100 or maybe 1,000 is a significant change in 'access to space'.
Now any reasonably well off person could afford to get a short visit to space, with views of the earth's curvature, black sky in daytime and weightlessness. If you don't care....that's fine, nobody is going to force anyone to ride it. If you do care, and can scratch together $250K, it's a definite 'once in a lifetime' type of experience.
I have had some exciting 'high performance vehicle' experiences, once piloted a tactical jet aircraft for about an hour, and I've driven a Formula 1 car on a race track for a few laps at speed.....this would be right in there, but a goodly bit more expensive, for sure. I probably won't sign up for a ride. If I did, it wouldn't be on Bezos' spam can. I'd much rather fly in something with wings.
5 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Yuban 7/11/2021 8:56:25 AM (No. 842052)
This is the type of thing you do when you have way to much money AND you do not really care about the millions of poor folk in the world. That being said, if the inept government can send humans into space, I am sure these ego maniacs can as well.
5 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
toddh 7/11/2021 9:38:49 AM (No. 842113)
If the goal was to make headlines instead of money, Elon Musk could have taken a ride at any time in the last year. And if you want returns right here on Earth, they've been hoisting GPS satellites for all to use.
These space tourism hop things are much less impressive.
4 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
kono 7/11/2021 9:48:16 AM (No. 842124)
The neo-über-rich aren't satisfied by competing in the arenas of cutting-edge sailboats, thoroughbred horses and Formula One cars.
1 person likes this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Roscoelewis 7/11/2021 10:15:31 AM (No. 842160)
...to each his own For me, I'm not the least bit interested in risking my life to be in "space". ...want to see "space"? Just walk around in Walmart for a while.
2 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
TexaTucky 7/11/2021 10:43:03 AM (No. 842191)
Personally, I'm glad rich people spend their money. More jobs for the rest of us. Plus they volunteer to be beta testers for the stuff that later comes to us safer and at a much cheaper cost.
7 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
usawatcher 7/11/2021 11:57:15 AM (No. 842285)
If I had the money I'd sign up in a heartbeat. I don't hate people with money nor do I think I can tell them how or on what to spend it.
3 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
MHR 7/11/2021 12:04:59 PM (No. 842292)
Glad he's landed safely....
1 person likes this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
zephyrgirl 7/11/2021 12:19:10 PM (No. 842315)
Years ago, I watched the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach on TV. The winner (some rich guy I'd never heard of) won with an admittedly cool old car. When he was interviewed, the interviewer asked him how much he'd driven the winning car. He replied, "about 50 feet," (the distance he drove it to the winner's circle). In short, he hired a bunch of people to find a car, restore it, and win a contest. So...he bought himself a trophy. Just like Buffet and Gates hire bridge professionals to play duplicate bridge with them. Now the latest thing in uber rich circles is getting shot into space. It keeps people employed and the rich off our backs on climate change, over population, etc. so in the long run it is a good thing that will continue until some rich dude gets blown to pieces on the launch pad or in space.
1 person likes this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
lakerman1 7/11/2021 1:18:06 PM (No. 842377)
Branson was a guest investor on Shark Tank. And he proved himself to be even more obnoxious than Mark Kuban.
And that is hard to do.
3 people like this.
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