Tag: VSS Unity
Tech Digest daily roundup: Virgin space tourists return to Planet Earth
Virgin Galactic has taken its first tourists to the edge of space, with an 80-year-old British ex-Olympian saying the trip "exceeded my wildest dreams". On board the VSS Unity were Jon Goodwin, from Newcastle, who had competed in canoeing at the 1972 Games in Munich, Keisha Schahaff, 46, and her 18-year-old daughter Anastatia Mayers, a…
Tech Digest daily roundup: VW developing sub-£17,000 ID1 EV
Volkswagen is “full steam ahead” with the development of a sub-£17,000 electric ‘ID 1’ hatch that will arrive in the next five years as part of a renewed push by car firms to produce affordable electric models. The new EV will serve as a spiritual successor to the e-Up city car and is set…
Tech Digest daily round up: Branson goes into space before Bezos
Billionaire Sir Richard Branson has announced his plan to reach space nine days before Amazon boss Jeff Bezos by taking part in a test flight for his company Virgin Galactic. In a video posted on Twitter, the Virgin Group founder introduced himself as "Astronaut 001" and said he will be "evaluating the customer space flight…
Virgin Galactic reaches ‘weight on wheels’ milestone
Virgin Galactic has announced a major milestone in the build of its next spaceship. In a moment comparable to a ship taking to the water for the first time, the latest spaceship is now bearing its own weight in a stage of its assembly termed 'Weight on Wheels'. At this critical juncture, 80% of the…
Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic to become first public space company
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is to become the first publicly traded company for human space travel after it announced a merger with a major investment vehicle. The company, which plans to offer multi-day trips to space, has announced a deal to combine with New York-listed Social Capital Hedosophia (SCH), led by former Facebook executive…
Virgin Galactic rocket plane reaches space again in test flight
Virgin Galactic’s rocket plane reached space for a second time in a test flight over California on Friday. It climbed higher and faster than before while also carrying a crew member to evaluate the long-awaited passenger experience. The winged spaceship soared at three times the speed of sound to an altitude of 55.8 miles before…
