Advertisement
UK markets open in 2 hours 22 minutes
  • NIKKEI 225

    39,915.23
    +174.83 (+0.44%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    16,555.26
    -181.84 (-1.09%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    82.57
    -0.15 (-0.18%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,161.80
    -2.50 (-0.12%)
     
  • DOW

    38,790.43
    +75.63 (+0.20%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    51,242.83
    -2,888.15 (-5.34%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • NASDAQ Composite

    16,103.45
    +130.25 (+0.82%)
     
  • UK FTSE All Share

    4,218.89
    -3.20 (-0.08%)
     

Watch as Virgin Galactic's first passenger flight takes off with Richard Branson on board

Virgin Galactic is set to launch its first passengers to space tomorrow morning, and you can watch the whole thing right here. The launch is scheduled for 7:30 AM Pacific, with streaming festivities (including commentary by Stephen Colbert) starting on the hour.

Update: The launch has been delayed by 1.5 hours due to weather. New target time is 7:30 AM Pacific, 8:30 AM local.

This launch is the 22nd for VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic's first spacecraft to leave the atmosphere. As before, Unity will leave the Spaceport attached to the belly of VMS Eve, which will take it up out of the thickest part of the atmosphere.

Unity will drop off and ignite its rocket engine, reaching speeds approaching Mach 3 until it reaches the 80 kilometer mark, the lowest altitude considered to be in space. When the engines shut off, the pilots and passengers will enjoy a short period of weightlessness and of course stunning views.

ADVERTISEMENT

The whole thing will be livestreamed, from the ground and, connectivity permitting, from the craft itself. When they return safely there will be a triumphant press conference and, remarkably, live music from Khalid.

I'll be there on the ground, but you can see what I see by tuning in to the official stream below:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTpWYWIfP7Y?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent&w=640&h=360]