Billionaire Richard Branson flying own rocket to space
Truth or Consequences (US), Jul 11: Thrill-seeking billionaire Richard Branson strapped in and set off Sunday on his boldest adventure yet a bid to reach space aboard his own winged rocket ship.
A successful flight would vault the nearly 71-year-old Branson past fellow billionaire and rival Jeff Bezos, who is planning to fly to space in a craft of his own nine days from now.
With a crowd of more than 500 people watching, a twin-fuselage aircraft with Branson's space plane attached underneath took off in the first stage of the flight. Aboard were Branson and five crewmates from his Virgin Galactic space-tourism company.
The plan was for the space plane to detach from the mother ship at an altitude of about 8 miles (13 km), fire its rocket engine and then pierce the edge of space at about 55 miles (88 km) up. After a few minutes of weightlessness for the crew, the space plane was supposed to glide to a runway landing.
The flight was intended as a confidence-boosting plug for Virgin Galactic, which plans to start taking paying customers on joyrides next year.
It's a beautiful day to go to space, Branson tweeted in the morning, posting a photo of himself with fellow billionaire and space-tourism rival Elon Musk.
Branson, the flamboyant, London-born founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways, wasn't supposed to fly until later this summer. But he assigned himself to an earlier flight after Bezos announced plans to ride his own rocket ship into space from Texas on July 20.
More than 600 people have already made reservations for a ride into space with Virgin Galactic, founded in 2004.
Bezos' Blue Origin has yet to open ticket sales or even announce prices, but late last week boasted via Twitter that it would take clients higher and offer bigger windows.
Unlike Blue Origin and Musk's SpaceX both launch capsules atop rockets.
Virgin Galactic made three previous test flights into space with a crew.
It’s a beautiful day to go to space. We’ve arrived at @Spaceport_NM. Get ready to watch LIVE at 7:30 am PT | 10:30 am ET | 3:30 pm BST https://t.co/PcvGTmA661 #Unity22 pic.twitter.com/4KjGPpjz0M
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) July 11, 2021
Big day ahead. Great to start the morning with a friend. Feeling good, feeling excited, feeling ready.
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) July 11, 2021
Watch #Unity22 launch and livestream TODAY at 7:30 am PT | 10:30 am ET | 3:30 pm BST.@virgingalactic @elonmusk https://t.co/1313b4RAKI pic.twitter.com/FRQqrQEbH8
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JD(S) MLA H D Revanna released from prison in kidnapping case
Bengaluru (PTI): JD(S) MLA and former minister H D Revanna was released from the Central Jail at Parappana Agrahara at Anekal town on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Tuesday.
A Special Court for Elected Representatives on Monday granted bail to him in connection with a kidnap case.
The 66-year-old former minister, son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in an alleged case of abduction of a woman, linked to the allegations of sexual abuse of women by his son and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, on May 4.
The special court judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat heard the matter and granted conditional bail to Revanna.
As the imprisoned leader walked free after spending six days in the jail, his supporters greeted him with slogans and a large convoy of vehicles followed him. Revanna went to meet his father Deve Gowda.
While granting the bail, the court invoked conditions, such as Revanna will be given bail upon executing Rs 5 lakh bond, he should not be allowed to leave the country, and he should not try to influence the victim or other related parties to the case.
Revanna's three-day police custody ended on May 8, following which he was produced in the XVII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which remanded him to seven days’ judicial custody, till May 14.
The case was registered following a complaint by the woman's son, who alleged that his mother was sexually abused by Revanna's son Prajwal.
The woman was allegedly abducted to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal, police sources have said.
The SIT has also secured the custody of Revanna's confidant Sathish Babanna in connection with the case.
The SIT arrested Babanna on May 3 and subsequently rescued the woman allegedly from a farmhouse in Mysuru’s Hunsur taluk on May 4, hours before the arrest of Revanna from Deve Gowda's residence in Bengaluru’s Padmanabhanagar.
