Richard Branson takes us to space
What comes to mind when you think about Richard Branson? His beard? His skill as an entrepreneur? Well, if you heard him interviewed on Radio 4’s You And Yours in May 2018, you may find yourself imagining him in a space suit.
“I’m going for astronaut training,” he told the programme. “I’m going for fitness training, centrifuge and other training so that my body will hopefully cope well when I go to space.”
Why Is Richard Heading Into Space?
Here at Blue Whale Media, the web design agency Manchester, we think the Virgin boss is doing a great job in promoting Virgin Galactic with his hope of becoming one of the first space tourists. Which really isn’t bad considering that he’s 67 years old.
The space travel company that he has created has ambitious plans to launch Richard – and other passengers – into space in the near future.
“We’re talking about months not years – so it’s close. There are exciting times ahead,” Richard told the programme.
Richard Isn’t The Only One
Here at our web design agency Manchester we’ve noticed that Richard isn’t the only one who’s in the tourism space race. He’s competing against fellow big names like the SpaceX founder Elon Musk and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos. But it seems as though he mainly sees Jeff as his main contender in this area.
“I think we’re both neck and neck as to who will put people into space first,” he said. “Ultimately we have to do it safely. It’s more a race with ourselves to make sure we have the craft that are safe to put people up there.”
How Is He Getting In Shape?
At our web design agency Manchester we’re wondering what Richard’s training regime involves? He revealed on the programme that a big part of it consists of playing tennis four times a day.
He’s playing two sets in the morning and two in the evening. But this is alongside a punishing schedule, which also includes kiting and biking. It’s all very impressive, considering that many people of his age are planning how to spend their retirement.
The G Force Factor
We’d also like to point out at our web design agency Manchester that Richard is undergoing G Force training, which recreates the feeling of being on an space craft as it travels through the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Virgin founder is also taking part in demanding centrifuge training, which recreates the pressures the human body undergoes during space flight.
Branson has always been a master of creating publicity, by putting himself at the centre of an adventure. But it is yet to be seen whether there will be enough demand to make space tourism a reality.
The History Behind Virgin Galactic
At our web design agency Manchester we’re fascinated by the history of Virgin Galactic. In 2014, the company was struck by tragedy when one pilot was killed and another one injured in a trial of a craft. But its SpaceShipTwo passenger rocket ship completed a successful test flight in 2018.