Stephen Hawking and Moby aboard Branson’s spaceship? It’s all too much for zoe williams |
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By pure coincidence, I was at NASA interviewing a funny old astronaut (he'd been on the moon!) last February, when Richard Branson was in town to discuss his space programme.
"Your fella Branson," said Charlie Duke, "he's looking to do commercial flights." It had never occurred to me before that Branson, as a Britisher, might be "ours". But I guess someone has to take him.
Anyway, the bare bones of Branson's space plans were thrashed out even then.
The journey will last just over a full day and cost about £100,000.
VSS Enterprise is a sub-orbital plane with a registration number: N400K. Two
thoughts: first, I know rules is rules and all that, but is that really necessary? To differentiate the world's first passenger spacecraft from, like, all the other spacecraft? |
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| Paris Hilton and ad guru Trevor Beattie are said to have sought tickets |
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In case what? It shoots a space traffic light? And secondly, you'd think he'd personalise it, wouldn't you? You'd think he'd call it RICHIEBABE77.
So far, there's been interest from Stephen Hawking, whose flight Branson says he'll sponsor himself, though whether in the interests of scientific discovery or just because the acclaimed physicist lends respectability to the whole exercise, history doesn't yet relate.
The question is what sort of company the professor is likely to find himself in. Moby, Paris Hilton, Princess Beatrice and ad guru Trevor Beattie are all said to have sought tickets, which - what with Branson himself on board - suggests a veritable Celebrity Big Brother space house is in the making.
Presumably, they'll all pay full whack. I cannot imagine Moby's presence in space being of any scientific benefit to anyone, though of course you never know the full extent of the powers of Paris Hilton. I hope somebody will be paying for it, anyhow. I'd hate to think of our Richard going belly up. 
FIRST POSTED JANUARY 10, 2007
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