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Added on the 24/05/2021 17:30:32 - Copyright : France 24 EN
British billionaire Richard Branson arrives at Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, hours before his voyage to the border of space aboard a Virgin Galactic space vessel. The business magnate is hoping to finally get the space tourism industry off the ground, while getting one up on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos by winning the race to be the first person to cross the final frontier in a ship built by their own company. IMAGES
Blue Origin successfully carried out a test of the escape system of its New Shephard rocket, in the west Texas desert on Wednesday. The spacecraft is intended for use by civilians wishing to travel to the edge of space.The system was devised to bring passengers safely back down to earth if a failure occurs inflight. Blue Origin is set to offer space tourism services by 2018.
Japanese tourists, relatives, friends, and members of Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa's team visit the launchpad in Baikonur, Kazakhstan where a Russian Soyuz rocket launch will send Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano to the International Space Station, marking Russia's return to space tourism after a decade-long pause that saw the rise of competition from privately held US companies. Their journey aboard the three-person Soyuz spacecraft piloted by cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin will take just over six hours, capping a banner year that many have seen as a turning point for private space travel. IMAGES
A Virgin Galactic spaceship carrying Richard Branson touches down after a voyage to the edge of space the British billionaire called an "experience of a lifetime." IMAGES
David Beckham is said to be in talks with space firms about being the first footballer to be blasted into space.