Tag Archives: Richard Branson

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit Files For Bankruptcy

The BBC reports: British billionaire Sir Richard Branson’s rocket company Virgin Orbit has filed for bankruptcy in the US after failing to secure new investment. The satellite launch company halted operations weeks ago but it hopes to find a buyer for the business. The company, based in California, announced last week that it would cut 85% of its 750-strong workforce. …

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FAA Grounds Virgin Galactic Over July Flight Mishap

NBC News reports: The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that Virgin Galactic cannot launch anyone into space again until an investigation is complete into a mishap that occurred during July’s flight with founder Richard Branson. The ban came as Virgin Galactic announced plans to launch three Italian researchers to the edge of space in a few weeks. The FAA said …

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Branson Craft Lands After Touching “Edge Of Space”

The Washington Post reports: For 20 years, Richard Branson has yearned to ride his spaceplane to the edge of space. On Sunday, he did it. The suborbital trip gave the British billionaire, his three crewmates and two pilots a glimpse of the Earth from more than 50 miles up and a few minutes of weightlessness before the vehicle they were …

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LIVE VIDEO: Virgin Galactic’s First Commercial Flight

ABC News reports: Richard Branson will boldly go where no space baron has gone before on Sunday, when he steps onto the supersonic space plane from his rocket venture, Virgin Galactic. Branson’s brief joy ride is more than two decades in the making. He founded Virgin Galactic in 2004 with the goal of creating a winged spacecraft capable of taking …

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Space Race: Branson To Launch Days Ahead Of Bezos

CNBC reports: Virgin Galactic announced on Thursday that the space tourism company will attempt to launch its next test spaceflight on July 11, carrying founder Sir Richard Branson. Branson is aiming to beat fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos to space, as the latter plans to launch with his own company, Blue Origin, on July 20. “After more than 16 years of …

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Virgin Atlantic Files For Bankruptcy Protection

Business Insider reports: Virgin Atlantic filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in New York on Tuesday, becoming the latest airline forced into reorganization during the coronavirus pandemic. Virgin Atlantic is the second Virgin Group airline to file for bankruptcy protection. Virgin Australia filed for voluntary administration — a form of bankruptcy in Australia — in April. London-based Virgin Atlantic, which is …

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Virgin Galactic Takes First Passenger On Suborbital Test

Engadget reports: Virgin Galactic sent its first test passenger into sub-space today. The company’s chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses accompanied two pilots on a flight 55.85 miles above the Earth, just a few miles below the internationally recognized space boundary, 62 miles. This will likely come as good news to the more than 600 people from 58 countries who have …

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LAUNCHED: Sex Pistols Credit Cards

So this is an actual thing: In one of the most unlikely tie-ups for a finance company, Virgin Money today launched a range of Sex Pistols themed credit cards. Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder, says the move celebrates the firm’s music heritage given the Sex Pistols were one of the most iconic bands signed by Virgin Records, Branson’s record …

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CALIFORNIA: Virgin Galactic Spaceship Crashes In Mojave Desert On Test Flight

It’s been a horrible week for the space industry.

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Facebook Twins In Space

From the Winklevoss twins’ blog: Humans have a long tradition of exploring and forging new frontiers, both physically and metaphorically. In the Middle Ages, Marco Polo’s writings – which recounted his 24 years of travel and trade on the Silk Road – built a new and lasting level of economic and cultural awareness between Europe and Asia. 200 years later, …

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Virgin Galactic Makes Test Flight

Via the Los Angeles Times: Virgin Galactic, British billionaire Richard Branson’s commercial space venture, reached its highest altitude yet Friday in a supersonic rocket plane that’s set to carry paying customers into sub-orbit later this year. The company’s SpaceShipTwo blasted through the sound barrier and sped to Mach 1.4, climbing to 71,000 feet in its first powered test flight of …

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Richard Branson: Boycott Uganda

“I have been courted by various people and government officials to do business in Uganda. I was seriously considering it. However, the dreadful witch hunt against the gay community and lifetime sentences means it would be against my conscience to support this country. I would urge other companies worldwide to follow suit. Uganda must reconsider or find it being ostracised …

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Richard Branson Pays Off On Bet

Billionaire Virgin America founder Richard Branson has settled a racing bet by working a shift in drag aboard a competing airline. Donning red lipstick, a flight attendant’s skirt and high heels, the maverick businessman served drinks, made intercom announcements and chatted up passengers on an AirAsia X flight from Perth, Australia, to Kuala Lumpur. Two years ago, Branson and AirAsia …

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Virgin America Launches In-Flight Dating

Sort of. Gawker thinks this is creepy.

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Richard Branson Tweets Against NRA

Virgin Atlantic billionaire Richard Branson appears to be echoing the Vietnam War era chant used against President Lyndon Johnson: “LBJ LBJ how many kids did you kill today?”  Predictably, the wingnuts are already calling for a boycott of his companies.

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Richard Branson Comes Out For Marriage

It never hurts to have a billionaire on your side.

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Virgin Galactic Unveils World’s First Commercial Passenger Spaceship

Yesterday Virgin Galactic publicly unveiled the world’s first commercial passenger spacecraft, which can take six passengers and two pilots into suborbital flight. The passenger capsule is suspended between two more traditional aircraft which will carry the vehicle into the upper atmosphere before releasing it. Already 300 people have paid a total of $40M for the less than ten minute flight. …

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Spaceman Sullenberger?

US Airways Flight 1549 pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who with his crew was honored on the field before yesterday’s Super Bowl, has a high-flying offer from Richard Branson. U.S. Airways better guard Capt. Chesley Sullenberger 3rd. Virgin Air billionaire Richard Branson wants to poach the “Miracle on the Hudson” pilot. “I’d like him to come fly for us,” Branson tell us. …

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