SINGAPORE: British entrepreneur Richard Branson said he expects his Virgin Galactic company to conduct its first space flight “within weeks, not months” in comments broadcast Tuesday.
Speaking to CNBC in Singapore, the billionaire Virgin founder said the company was “more than tantalisingly close” to launching its first mission to space, and that he himself hoped to briefly leave Earth within “months not years.”
“We will be in space with people not too long after that,” he added.
Branson’s Virgin Galactic is racing against Amazon creator Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to launch the first out-of-this-world passenger flight and take paying passengers into space.
Both companies will offer customers a weightless experience that will last just minutes, passing through the imaginary line marking where space begins — either the Karman line, at 100 kilometers (62 miles), or the 50-mile boundary recognized by the US Air Force.
At this altitude, the sky looks dark and the curvature of the Earth can be seen clearly.
The first space tourists, who visited the International Space Station (ISS) in the 2000s, paid tens of millions of dollars for the privilege.
Branson said the proposed $250,000 price tag of a Virgin Galactic ticket would allow those who dreamed of visiting space to lift off in larger numbers.
“If I have a room full of 10 people, eight out of 10 would love to go to space if they could afford it,” he said.
“Ultimately,” Branson said he hoped the price of a space flight would come down to around $40,000 or $50,000 over the next decade.”
Branson says Virgin Galactic to launch space flight ‘within weeks’
Branson says Virgin Galactic to launch space flight ‘within weeks’
- Branson said the company was “more than tantalisingly close” to launching its first mission to space
- Branson’s Virgin Galactic is racing against Amazon creator Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to launch the first out-of-this-world passenger flight
India seals $3bn LNG agreement with UAE
- Leaders hold talks to strengthen trade, defense ties
NEW DELHI, DUBAI: India signed a $3 billion deal on Monday to buy liquefied natural gas from the UAE, making it the Gulf country’s top customer, as the leaders of both countries held talks to strengthen trade and defense ties.
The agreement was signed during a very brief two-hour visit to India by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They pledged to double bilateral trade to $200 billion in six years and form a strategic defense partnership.
Abu Dhabi state firm ADNOC Gas will supply 0.5 million tonnes of LNG a year to India’s Hindustan Petroleum Corp. for 10 years, the companies said.
ADNOC Gas said the agreement brings the total value of its contracts with India to over $20 billion.
“India is now the UAE’s largest customer and a very important part of ADNOC Gas’ LNG strategy,” the company said.
The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner and Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied by a government delegation that included his defense and foreign ministers. The two sides signed a letter of intent to work toward forming a strategic defense partnership, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters.
Misri, however, said that the signing of the letter of intent with the UAE does not mean that India will get involved in regional conflicts.
“Our involvement on the defense and security front with a country from the region does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that we will get involved in particular ways in the conflicts of the region,” he said.
