英富豪ブランソン氏、自社の船で宇宙に到達 「またとない経験」

【米国ＡＦＰ＝時事】英富豪リチャード・ブランソン氏は１１日、自身が創業した宇宙旅行会社ヴァージン・ギャラクティックの宇宙船で宇宙飛行に成功し、今回の飛行について「またとない経験」と述べた。商業宇宙旅行時代の先駆けとなることを期待している。（写真は米ニューメキシコ州にある商業宇宙船発着基地、スペースポート・アメリカ上空で、母船から切り離された宇宙船「スペースシップ２」の２号機「ユニティ」）
　ブランソン氏は、ライバルの米富豪ジェフ・ベゾス氏より一足早く宇宙に行った。ベゾス氏は、自身が設立した宇宙開発企業ブルー・オリジンの宇宙船で、今月２０日に宇宙飛行を実施すると発表している。
　ブランソン氏とヴァージン・ギャラクティックの社員３人、同社のパイロット２人を乗せた宇宙船「ユニティ」は、高度約１５キロで巨大な輸送機の下部から切り離された後、高度８６キロまでマッハ３の速度で上昇。ブランソン氏らは数分間の無重力を体験した。切り離しから約１時間後、ユニティは翼を下げ、グリニッジ標準時（ＧＭＴ）１１日午後３時４０分（日本時間１２日午前０時４０分）ごろに着陸した。
　ブランソン氏はユニティが降下する間に断続的なライブ配信を行い、「ヴァージン・ギャラクティックの素晴らしいチームの皆さん、おめでとう。１７年間、本当にハードな仕事を続けてくれたおかげで、ついにここまで来ることができた」として、宇宙飛行は「またとない体験」だったと述べた。
　ブランソン氏はまた、有名児童小説「チョコレート工場の秘密」をほうふつとさせるイベントの実施についても発表。一般市民２人を抽選で宇宙飛行および商業宇宙船発着基地「スペースポート・アメリカ」のガイド付きツアーに招待すると述べ、「たくさんのチョコレートを約束しよう」と冗談を交えた。
　飛行後の式典では、「子どもの頃からこの瞬間を夢見てきたが、正直に言うと、宇宙からの地球の眺めは想像以上だ」と笑顔で話し、シャンパンで祝杯を挙げた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/07/13-13:53）

British billionaire Richard Branson flew into space Sunday aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel, a voyage he described as the experience of a lifetime -- and one he hopes will usher in an era of lucrative space tourism.
The mission's success allowed the swashbuckling septuagenarian to one-up fellow tycoon Jeff Bezos -- who owns space company Blue Origin and is set to launch on July 20 -- in the race to the final frontier.
I have dreamt of this moment since I was a kid, but honestly nothing could prepare you for the view of Earth from space, Branson said, grinning during a post-flight ceremony where he and crewmates received their astronaut wings, before popping open the champagne to celebrate.
Branson, three fellow passengers and two pilots (all Virgin employees) breached the US-recognized boundary of space, reaching an altitude of 53.5 miles (86 kilometers) and experiencing weightlessness for a few minutes aboard the VSS Unity.
The spaceplane then lowered its wings and glided down to the ground at around 9:40 am Mountain Time (1540 GMT), about an hour after it had taken off attached to the belly of a massive carrier plane, which ascended 10 miles (15 kilometers) before dropping its payload.
The rocket-powered Unity achieved a top speed of Mach 3 as it soared to space.
Congratulations to all our wonderful team at Virgin Galactic for 17 years of hard, hard work to get us this far, Branson said during an intermittent live feed as Unity descended, calling it the experience of a lifetime.
The patchy video transmission was the only blemish on an otherwise drama-free flight, and more inflight footage is expected to be released later on.
Branson scooped up his grandchildren and hugged loved ones after the trip.
SpaceX boss Elon Musk, who came to watch the flight, quickly tweeted, Congratulations, beautiful flight!
NASA also congratulated the team, calling the flight spectacular, indeed.
Branson, the consummate showman, also unveiled a Willy Wonka-esque competition for space enthusiasts to win two free tickets on Virgin Galactic flights through the website Omaze -- and a persona guided tour of Spaceport America.
I promise lots of chocolate, he joked, comparing himself to the beloved Roald Dahl character.
- Space base -
Several tourists journeyed to the International Space Station in the 2000s, but on Russian rockets.
Branson's official role is to evaluate the private astronaut experience to enhance the journey for future clients.
The 70-year-old founder of Virgin Group, which today has interests in everything from commercial aviation to fitness centers, is known for his appetite for adventure and has set world records in hot air ballooning and boating.
He founded Virgin Galactic in 2004, but the dream almost came to an end in 2014 when an in-flight accident caused the death of a pilot, considerably delaying the program.
Since then, VSS Unity has successfully reached space three times, in 2018, 2019 -- which included the first crew member who wasn't a pilot -- and finally in May this year.
Sunday's flight left from Spaceport America, a huge base built in the Jornada del Muerto desert, around 20 miles southeast of the nearest town, Truth or Consequences.
Financed largely by the state of New Mexico, Virgin Galactic is the principal tenant.
- Paying passengers in 2022? -
After Sunday, Virgin Galactic plans two further flights, and then the start of regular commercial operations from early 2022. The ultimate goal is to conduct 400 flights per year.
Some 600 tickets have already been sold to people from 60 different countries -- including Hollywood celebrities -- for prices ranging from $200,000 to $250,000.
Branson hopes to expand that through the competition for free tickets, so lots of people who couldn't otherwise have afforded to go to space, go to space.
The competition in the space tourism sector, whose imminent rise has been announced for years, has come to a head this month.
Bezos, the richest person in the world, is due to fly nine days from now on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.
Blue Origin posted an infographic Friday boasting the ways in which the experience it offers is superior.
The principal point: New Shepard climbs up to more than 60 miles in altitude, thus exceeding what is called the Karman line, the frontier of space according to international convention.
Bezos posted a photo of Unity on his Instagram page after Branson's trip, offering his congratulations.
Can't wait to join the club! he wrote.