Richard Branson Posts Motivating Tweet to Kids From His Spacecraft

Richard Branson Virgin Galatic vss unity Holly Branson space tourism Virgin Atlantic Airways Jeff Bezos Blue Origin Space X Elon Musk children in space flight

By Lilian Scott , Parent Herald Jul 13, 11:01 am

Photo: (Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Billionaire Sir Richard Branson became the first business magnate to embark on a journey to space aboard the Virgin Galatic's VSS Unity on July 11. While his journey was short, he still managed to send out a special and inspiring message to children around the world.

In a video post on Twitter, Branson said that he used to dream about venturing in the stars as a child, and his short trip to space has been a culmination of this childhood dream. He then motivated the "next generation of dreamers" to "imagine what they can do," challenging them to also never give up on their dreams despite how impossible it may be.

I was once a child with a dream looking up to the stars. Now I'm an adult in a spaceship looking down to our beautiful Earth. To the next generation of dreamers: if we can do this, just imagine what you can do https://t.co/Wyzj0nOBgX #Unity22 @virgingalactic pic.twitter.com/03EJmKiH8V
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) July 11, 2021

During his ascent to space some 53 miles above the Earth, Branson's 39-year-old daughter, Holly Branson, was cheering him on. She also described how emotional she felt for her father's space trip and had many butterflies in her stomach while he was in the atmosphere.

Days before leaving the surface of the Earth, Holly had been by her father's side and anticipated his space flight like a child. In a message to the press, Holly described the anticipation as similar to her father's balloon trips when she was a little girl, where she also followed him around before his trip.

Details of the VSS Unity Trip

Branson returned to Earth one hour after VSS Unity launched its sub-orbital flight as the first independent civilian spacecraft to travel outside the atmosphere. The billionaire was accompanied by a small crew of experienced pilots and space mission specialists. They had weightlessness for about four minutes.

Arriving back to Earth, Branson told family, friends, and the press, who were waiting at the landing, that it was such a "magical experience." He said that it was worth the 17 years they've been working hard for this Virgin Galactic venture.

Branson, who hails from London, is the founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways and other companies under the Virgin umbrella. He is not the only billionaire planning to open a commercial space flight. Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos, is also launching his rocket for the first time, with him as one of the passengers, on July 20 under his venture, Blue Origin. Space X founder, Elon Musk, has also launched his rocket ships for tests in 2020, but he has yet to ride on one trip.

Can Children Go On Space Flights?

With these billionaires creating a niche for space tourism, anyone who can afford to pay for space rides may eventually travel outside of the Earth's orbit. However, these companies currently impose physical and psychological requirements for travelers with height and weight requirements that can't apply to children.

Before the flight, guests will also have to undergo extensive training just like an astronaut because they will need safety briefings or master in-flight procedures. The training can take up to three days at a remote location. Suffice it to say, space tourism is currently not aimed at kids.

Additionally, the space tickets are very expensive and could go for millions, depending on the provider. The flight Branson took cost about $250,000. However, some industry analysts said that once it goes commercial, the trip could go as high as $500,000, per The Washington Post.