Virgin Galactic: First commercial flight for Richard Branson's rocket ship
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Ticket prices for a seat onboard the rocket have been as high as £350,000
If you've ever dreamt of going to space, then there is good news as your chances have just improved.
British billionaire Sir Richard Branson's private space company has just completed its first commercial flight.
Virgin Galactic's rocket ship took passengers more than 50 miles above the Earth's surface to the edge of space.
They got to experience around five minutes of weightlessness - meaning they could float around the cabin.
Richard Branson is a British businessman and billionaire and founder of the Virgin Group, which provides a number of services including flights, broadband and gyms.
He wants to give people the opportunity to explore the universe through his spaceflight brand, Virgin Galactic.
Sir Richard Branson was the first owner of a private space company to fly into space
What is a commercial space flight?
This is a trip to space that you pay for.
This was Virgin Galactic's first commercial flight, but those who bought tickets weren't just there for the stunning views.
Three Italians were aboard as part of a mission which was paid for by the Italian Air Force and the Italian National Research Council.
They completed a range of experiments during the flight, including how weightlessness affects the mixing of liquids and the behaviour of cells.
The Italian passengers completed 13 experiments while aboard
How did the flight work?
A Virgin Galactic aeroplane, Eve, took off carrying a rocket ship called Unity.
When Eve reached nine miles high, Unity detached from the plane and travelled to the edge of space using its rocket motor - this is where you experience weightlessness.
The spacecraft then glided back home, with the flight taking around 72 minutes.
Sir Richard Branson completed a similar trip himself back in July 2021, becoming the first owner of a private space company to fly into space.
"Welcome back to Earth... Our pilots, crew and spaceship have landed smoothly at Spaceport—NM," Sir Richard tweeted following the successful mission.
He described it as a "historic moment", writing in Italian "what a fantastic flight!" and "well done".
Flights will soon begin for the 800 people who've bought tickets to take a space trip in the rocket so far. However, each seat on the thought to cost around $450,000 (£350,000), the journey is definitely not cheap.
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