A new Space Race: Which rich man will win high-stakes chase for space tourists?
wo billionaires are putting everything on the line this month to ride their own rockets into space.
It’s intended to be a flashy confidence boost for customers seeking their own short joyrides.
The lucrative, high-stakes chase for space tourists will unfold on the fringes of space — 55 miles to 66 miles (88 kilometers to 106 kilometers) up, pitting Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson against the world’s richest man, Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos.
Branson is due to take off Sunday from New Mexico, launching with two pilots and three other employees aboard a rocket plane carried aloft by a double-fuselage aircraft. Bezos departs nine days later from West Texas, blasting off in a fully automated capsule.
Virgin Galactic will become the first rocket company to launch its boss when Branson straps into one of his sleek, shiny space planes this weekend.
The self-described tie-loathing adventurer and troublemaker will join five company employees for Sunday’s test flight from New Mexico’s southern desert — the company’s fourth trip to the edge of space.
Branson assigned himself to Virgin Galactic’s first full-scale crew, jumping ahead of Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos, an even richer rocketeer looking to launch himself into space. Here’s a brief look at Branson’s ride and company:
