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Richard Branson is ever optimistic about realizing the potential of commercial space flight.
After an apparently successful test flight on Thursday of SpaceShipTwo above the Mojave Desert, the mogul touted a “giant step” forward.
“Our spaceship is now the highest commercial winged vehicle in history!” Branson wrote on his blog. “We also successfully tested its feather system for carefree re-entry too — the first time that’s happened on a rocket-powered flight.” He added that SpaceShipTwo was propelled to 69,000 feet and achieved a Mach 1.43 speed.
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“Virgin Galactic is now gearing up for the commercial service: finalizing cabin interiors, flight suits, training programs and the multiple other details required to offer our hundreds of aspiring astronauts a safe and awe-inspiring journey,” he said in a video (below) showing footage of the test run. “We are on track for 2014 start of commercial service.”
Branson has delayed the launch date for a commercial flight before. But he has been enthusiastic about enlisting well-known Hollywood names to sign on for a launch flight.
Last March, Two and a Half Men actor Ashton Kutcher was named the 500th astronaut to reserve a spot on a potential flight. Justin Bieber and talent manager Scooter Braun were similarly recruited to join a Galactic flight, Branson tweeted in June.
The cost of a ticket on board a flight is set at $250,000. At a Cannes charity auction in May, the winning bidder paid $1.5 million to board a future Virgin Galactic flight alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
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