SPEED + BEYOND

HUMAN DREAMS ABOUT TRAVEL TO SPACE

Richard Branson's success kicks off a space tourist's dream.

15.07.2021
BY A. NUGROHO
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What is the limit of human dreams? That question doesn't seem to be on the mind of Richard Branson, billionaire and owner of Virgin Galactic, who has just made his maiden flight to outer space. Branson, who was a passenger with three of his colleagues, succeeded in bringing space tourism into reality.

The historic flight first came from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico. The flight was delayed 90 minutes due to strong winds, but then flew off without a hitch in clear weather. Branson's plane, Unity22, flew with the aircraft carrier Eve after 22 trials.

Eve flies to a height of 15 kilometers carrying Unity22 and then releases it to get to the intended altitude. Unity22 then fired its rocket engine to an altitude of 80 kilometers, crossing the Karman line, which NASA recognizes as the boundary between Earth and space.

Then Unity22 turns off its engine which makes the astronauts experience three minutes of weightlessness. Passengers can also see the shape of the earth from the large windows.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic)

Branson even messaged his kids from up there. In the past, he also dreamed of seeing the stars up close. He is grateful that he is now on a starship and can see the beauty of Earth.

"For generations to come who dream, if I can do this, imagine what you can do," Branson said.

Unity22 then begins to enter Earth's atmosphere, thanks to gravity. The craft then floated without an engine and finally returned to the Spaceport runway to end its 90-minute journey into space.

The success of Branson's journey took quite a long time. Branson, in 2005, began construction of the Spaceport in New Mexico to realize this dream of outer space. After trying and failing many times, his dream finally came true.

 
 
 
 
 
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Branson's move with Virgin Galactic is arguably the first step for space tourism. Records reveal that the desire of ordinary citizens to go to outer space has existed for a long time, even though they come from the upper class or billionaires. In 2001, United States billionaire Dennis Tito arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on a Russian Soyuz rocket, registering himself as the first space tourist.

Tito, who was then 60 years old, revealed that he had long been fascinated by the story of traveling to space and began aiming to leave. The target even dates back to 1961, the year Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into space.

The idea of ​​flying humans into space, especially civilians, was actually strongly opposed by NASA. But when the Soviet Union collapsed, Tito approached Russia to fly civilians for a fee. Tito, who spent eight days on the ISS, described his journey as full of euphoria.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic)

There are currently several companies other than Virgin Galactic trying to make the dream of going into space a reality for those who can afford it. Elon Musk's SpaceX company is offering a seat into space for $50 million. Branson said the price for this space journey in the future would be more affordable even though currently for Virgin Galactic's journey at $250,000.

So what is the destination of space tourists in the future? In addition to offering a trip to space, this space tourist can offer life in outer space. In 2019, the California-based company Gateway Foundation revealed plans to build a hotel that orbits the Earth's atmosphere.

SpaceX even has NASA support to build a space shuttle that can take tourists to the moon. The long-term plan is to go to Mars. Future travel is being prepared for outer space. We hope that everyone will be able to experience this unique experience in the future.

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