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☆ Virgin Galactic launches tourists to edge of space
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

VSS Unity rocket operated by Virgin Galactic lands after the company's first commercial flight to the edge of space, at the Spaceport America facility, in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, U.S., June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Virgin Galactic on Thursday blasted three tourists to the edge of space aboard its air-launched VSS Unity spaceplane, a live stream showed, the Richard Branson-founded company's second commercial mission as it starts routine flights. The rocket-powered VSS Unity craft dropped from the carrier plane over New Mexico around 9:20 a.m. local time and blasted its four passengers, a company instructor and three tourists, to an altitude of roughly 55 miles (88.51 km). Reporting by Joey Roulette; Editing by Mark Porter and Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez, Richard Branson, Joey Roulette, Mark Porter, Richard Chang Organizations: VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic, America, REUTERS, Galactic, VSS, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S

☆ Kantamanto market: At one of the world’s largest clothing dumps, textiles are getting a new lease of life
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Jenny Marc | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

They belong to a vendor in one of the world’s largest secondhand clothing markets, who plans on selling these clothes for a small profit. Using research, advocacy and innovation, the foundation draws attention to textile waste and finds ways to reuse it. A water stream across the street from Kantamanto textile market is choked with discarded clothing, essentially becoming a makeshift landfill. They purchase used clothing by the bale, without knowing what’s inside, in hopes of selling it for profit. The regulations will make the collection of textile waste mandatory in 2025, but the organization says these changes won’t be enough.

Persons: Ghana CNN — Kennie MacCarthy rummages, MacCarthy, ” MacCarthy, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Jenny Marc, “ I’ve, ”, –, Kayayei, “, Liz Branson, MacCarthy – Organizations: Ghana CNN, Bloomberg, Charities, CNN Merchants, Foundation, CNN, European Commission Locations: Accra, Ghana, Kantamanto, Europe, North America

☆ Virgin Galactic to launch first tourism mission after decades of promises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Jackie Wattles | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Virgin Galactic — the space tourism company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson — is finally prepared to launch its first space tourists to the edge of the cosmos, a major step toward delivering on decades of promises. Meet the crewThis mission comes on the heels of the success of Virgin Galactic’s first commercial mission, which launched in June. Goodwin was one of the earliest ticket holders on Virgin Galactic, which opened its first sales more than a decade ago. Virgin Galactic has sold about 800 tickets, including 600 at prices up to $250,000 and another couple hundred at $450,000 per ticket. In the lead-up to 2023, Virgin Galactic had been undergoing a lengthy “enhancement” process to upgrade its flight hardware.

Persons: Richard Branson —, Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers, Jon Goodwin, Goodwin, Virgin Galactic’s, Jeff Bezos, Galactic Schahaff, Mayers, “, ” Schahaff, Oliver Daemen, Bezos, don’t, ”, John McFall, What’s, Michael Colglazier, Virgin Galactic, Colglazier Organizations: CNN, Virgin Galactic, VSS Unity, Virgin, VSS, Galactic, Space, Humanity, University of Aberdeen, Blue, European Space Agency Locations: British, New Mexico, Antigua, American, Caribbean, Scotland

☆ How to watch Virgin Galactic's first space tourist launch 300,000 feet above the ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Virgin Galactic plans to launch its first space tourist flight. Watch it here:Who are Virgin Galactic's first space tourists? These are the first commercial passengers to fly aboard Virgin Galactic's first private commercial spaceflight, due to take off Thursday. "The whole team just swarmed into my house saying 'You're the winner, you're going to space,'" Schahaff told the BBC. This is Virgin Galactic's second commercial flight and the first to carry paying customers.

Persons: Richard Branson's Virgin, Sir Richard, Jon Goodwin, Keisha Schahaff, Virgin Galactic's, Virgin Galactic Goodwin, Goodwin, Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers, Beth Moses, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, OceanGate Organizations: Virgin, Service, VSS Unity, Virgin Galactic, Sky News, BBC, University of Aberdeen, Italian Air Force, National Research Council of Italy, Galactic's, Galactic Locations: Wall, Silicon, Munich, nought, Antigua, London, Caribbean, Scotland, New Mexico

☆ Space tourists will probably have sex up there, but they shouldn't get pregnant, researchers warn
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If someone gets pregnant in space, the radiation could harm them or their embryo, scientists say. Space companies could end up with lawsuits and bad press if they don't talk to tourists about this. SpaceXIt may not even be possible to get pregnant in space, but it's probably not worth taking the chance. That's partly because space research has long been dominated by government agencies. Their findings may not be applicable to humans at all, but they offer hints that reproductive functions could be affected by space radiation and microgravity.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Origin's, Yusaku Maezawa, Dennis Tito, Sharon, Marc Hagle, Kris Lehnhardt, Lehnhardt, it's, hasn't, Sally Ride, Walter Villadei, Elon Musk, Ludovic Marin, We're, David Cullen, Cullen, Gonzalo Fuentes Organizations: Service, Shepard, Virgin, SpaceX, NASA, Engineers, Virgin Galactic, Chateau, Cranfield University, Reuters Locations: Wall, Silicon, Boca Chica , Texas, Versailles, Paris

☆ Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight is set to take off this week. Here are the players taking civilians to space.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Virgin Galactic is set to launch its first space tourism flight on August 10. It marks a new era in space tourism for the company, which will have have monthly flights. Seats on a Virgin Galactic flight cost $450,000 each. This week, Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight is set to take off from New Mexico — and three of the passengers on board aren't traditional astronauts. Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's commercial space venture, was established in 2004 and completed its first commercial spaceflight in June.

Persons: Virgin Galactic's, Keisha Schahaff, Anastatia, Jon Goodwin, Richard Branson's, Goodwin, Jeff Bezos, Shepard, There's, Jared Issacman Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Virgin, New Mexico —, Caribbean, Galactic, Italian Air Force, National Research Council, Origin, Amazon, SpaceX, Elon Musk's, SpaceX's, Space, International Locations: New Mexico

☆ A mother-daughter duo will join an 80-year-old Olympian on Virgin Galactic's first space tourism flight on Thursday. Here's how to watch live.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Virgin Galactic plans to launch its first space tourist flight on Thursday. These are the first commercial passengers to fly aboard Virgin Galactic's first private commercial spaceflight, due to take off Thursday. Keisha Schahaff won her tickets through a raffle while on a Virgin flight from Antigua to London in 2021. "The whole team just swarmed into my house saying 'You're the winner, you're going to space,'" Schahaff told the BBC. This is Virgin Galactic's second commercial flight and the first to carry paying customers.

Persons: Richard Branson's Virgin, Sir Richard, Jon Goodwin, Keisha Schahaff, Virgin Galactic's, Virgin Galactic Goodwin, Goodwin, Schahaff, Anastatia Mayers, Beth Moses, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, OceanGate Organizations: Virgin, Service, New Mexico's, Sky News, Virgin Galactic, BBC, University of Aberdeen, Italian Air Force, National Research Council of Italy, VSS Unity, Galactic's, Galactic Locations: Wall, Silicon, New, America, Munich, nought, Antigua, London, Caribbean, Scotland, New Mexico

☆ The No. 1 skill you need to 'win every argument,' says public speaking expert: 'Few people have it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Mehdi Hasan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In my book, "Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking," I outline the two types of listening to master: critical listening and empathetic listening. Good listening skills boost your credibility and make you sound confident. People who win arguments and are good at debating don't just speak well, they listen well, too. You need to be a critical listener when your teacher is giving you feedback on an essay you wrote. By listening critically to your opponent and being ready to catch fallacious or false claims, you can prepare zinger-like responses, and win your argument.

Persons: Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Gates Organizations: Debating Locations: London, Branson

☆ A Russian oligarch who slammed Putin's invasion of Ukraine got taken off UK's sanctions list after he got Richard Branson to back him
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UK on Wednesday lifted sanctions against Russian oligarch Oleg Tinkov. Virgin Group founder Richard Branson endorsed Tinkov's appeal against the sanctions. The UK on Wednesday lifted sanctions against Russian oligarch Oleg Tinkov, the British foreign office announced Thursday. The Russian businessman has been an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. Tinkov's appeal against the UK's sanctions was endorsed by Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group empire, The Times media outlet reported on Monday.

Persons: Oleg Tinkov, Tinkov, Richard Branson, Vladimir Putin's, Branson, Tinkov hasn't, Corker Binning, David Corker Organizations: Virgin Group, Service, Bank, New York Times, Times, US, EU, Forbes, Tinkoff Bank Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, British, Russian, Cyprus, Tinkov

☆ Virgin Galactic to launch second commercial space flight next month
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Virgin Galactic (SPCE) logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as the company begins public trading in New York, U.S., October 28, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid(Reuters) - Virgin Galactic Holdings said on Thursday that the space tourism startup will launch its second commercial flight in a window that opens next month after a successful first flight in June. The firm is among the few U.S.-based space companies, along with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to cater to the burgeoning demand for commercial space operations and space travel. Details on crew, pilots and the flight manifest for the mission set to launch in a window opening on Aug. 10, will be released later, the company said. Virgin Galactic had earlier said it has already booked a backlog of some 800 customers, charging most from $250,000 to $450,000 per seat, and envisions eventually building a large enough fleet to accommodate more than one flight a day.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, ’, Virgin Galactic Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic Holdings, Origin, Elon, SpaceX, Virgin Locations: New York, U.S, British

☆ Sibling around-the-world aviators set another youth record
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 11 (Reuters) - Siblings and solo around-the-world aviators Mack and Zara Rutherford set more records on Tuesday as they collected a trophy whose previous winners include Lewis Hamilton and Richard Branson. The British-Belgian duo are the youngest winners of the Royal Automobile Club's Segrave Trophy, first awarded in 1930 and featuring a roll call of aviation pioneers and motorsport greats. Only four women have previously won the Segrave trophy - awarded to British adventurers who show outstanding skill, courage and initiative in travel on land, sea or air - and none as young as Zara. Mack, who beat the record set by 18-year-old Briton Travis Ludlow in 2021, had to land on an uninhabited island after crossing the Pacific Ocean on a trip whose itinerary had to be changed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Previous winners of the Segrave Trophy include Formula One racing drivers Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren, Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill as well as Hamilton.

Persons: Mack, Zara Rutherford, Lewis Hamilton, Richard Branson, Zara, Briton Travis Ludlow, Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren, Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Donald Campbell, Amy Johnson, Alan Baldwin, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Royal Automobile, Stanford University, Reuters, Renault, Thomson Locations: The British, Belgian, Sofia, Russia, Alaska, Zara, New York, Iceland, Singapore, Siberia, Ukraine, Hamilton, London, Australia

☆ The European Space Agency jokingly asks Mark Zuckerberg if he will start making rockets like Elon Musk after Threads launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The European Space Agency joined in on the jokes around Wednesday's launch of Threads. In a post tagging Mark Zuckerberg, the ESA said: "Do you want to start making rockets?" The European Space Agency joined in on all the memes and jokes around Wednesday's launch of Threads – the new Twitter competitor app from Meta. The account, which currently has 122,000 followers on the new app, tagged Mark Zuckerberg in a post that asked: "Do you want to start making rockets?" Either way, the space agency is one of the first companies to gain attention on Threads.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, TikTok Organizations: European Space Agency, ESA, Meta, Musk's SpaceX

☆ Branson, Virgin Group reputations at centre of $250 mln London court clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - British billionaire Richard Branson severely damaged Virgin Group's reputation by residing in a tax haven while UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic sought a government bailout during the pandemic, according to internal Virgin emails cited in a $250 million London lawsuit on Monday. The emails were cited by lawyers for U.S. train operator Brightline, which is being sued by the Virgin Group after cancelling a deal to use the Virgin brand in 2020, just over 18 months after it was signed. Under the deal Brightline operated a rail line in Florida using the name Virgin Trains USA. Brightline's lawyers cited internal Virgin Group emails describing group founder Branson being based in the British Virgin Islands for tax purposes as "a reputation killer", while one email from an external public relations adviser said: "Richard needs to show he's not a ruthless, tax-evading billionaire." In an April 2020 email, Virgin Group CEO Josh Bayliss referred to Branson's tax residency in relation to the request for a bailout, saying: "Richard cannot escape the criticism.

Persons: Richard Branson, Brightline, Branson, Richard, Josh Bayliss, Daniel Toledano, Virgin Atlantic's, Brightline's, Nigel Tozzi, Sam Tobin, Susan Fenton Organizations: Virgin Atlantic, U.S, Virgin Group, Virgin, Virgin Trains, British Virgin Islands, Real Madrid, Thomson Locations: Florida, British Virgin, Britain, United States, Barcelona, Bay

☆ Opinion: The cavalry won’t be coming to rescue you in space
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Opinion Leroy Chiao | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —As the world grapples with the implosion of the Titan submersible, commercial space companies are pressing ahead with plans to offer short hop adventures beyond the skies. Another company, Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, already has flown several paying customers to suborbital space. Visitors to suborbital space will also experience microgravity and the beautiful view of the Earth from space. The answer is I might have – if I had the financial means and had not already had my NASA spaceflight experiences. The key thing for any would-be passenger planning to board commercial vehicles to space or in the ocean is informed consent.

Persons: Leroy Chiao, Richard Branson’s Virgin, Jeff Bezos, SpaceX’s, I’ve Organizations: OneOrbit, NASA, Russian Soyuz, International Space, Safety, SpaceX, Council, White, Spaceflight, CNN, Titan, Italian Air Force, Virgin Galactic, Boeing, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Russian

The flight marks a decisive moment for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), the space tourism venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson in 2004, as it inaugurates commercial service following several years fraught with development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. Virgin Galactic has said it has already booked a backlog of some 800 customers, charging from $250,000 to $450,000 per seat, and envisions eventually building a large enough fleet to accommodate 400 flights annually. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Italy, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, VSS Unity, International Space, Air Force, America, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, Italy, British, Italian, Los Angeles

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Joby, Micron, Wells Fargo, Freyr Battery and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Check out the companies making the biggest moves in premarket trading. Joby Aviation — Joby shares gained another 17% premarket. The aviation company announced a $100 million equity investment from South Korea's SK Telecom, expanding an existing partnership. Wells Fargo , JPMorgan Chase , Bank of America — The banks moved higher after passing the Federal Reserve's annual stress test Wednesday. Wells Fargo and Bank of America gained nearly 2%, while JPMorgan rose 1.6%.

Persons: Wells, Charles Schwab —, Morgan Stanley, Adam Jonas, Berkshire Hathaway, Overstock, Richard, —, Macheel, Jesse Pound, Sarah Min, Michael Bloom, Brian Evans Organizations: Aviation, New York Stock Exchange, Joby, South Korea's SK Telecom, Micron Technology, Micron, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Federal, JPMorgan, Citizens, Providence, Occidental Petroleum —, Petroleum, Berkshire, Warren Buffett, Virgin Galactic —, Virgin Galactic Locations: New York, South, Wells Fargo, Providence , Rhode Island, Wednesday's, Virgin

☆ Live updates: Virgin Galactic completes first commercial spaceflight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People react as the passenger rocket plane operated by Virgin Galactic takes off, during the company's first commercial flight to the edge of space, at the Spaceport America facility, in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, U.S., June 29, 2023. Space tourism company Virgin Galactic , founded by Sir Richard Branson in 2004, completed its long-awaited first commercial spaceflight, called "Galactic 01," on Thursday. The three paying passengers are members of the Italian Air Force. Virgin Galactic's start to commercial service comes after years of delays and setbacks. Virgin Galactic has a backlog of about 800 passengers.

Persons: Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic's Organizations: Virgin Galactic, America, Space, Italian Air Force, Virgin, VSS Unity Locations: New Mexico, U.S

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years of fraught by development setbacks. Rounding out the crew was their Virgin Galactic trainer, Colin Bennett, the company's lead "astronaut instructor," and Unity's two pilots, Michael Masucci and Nicola Pecile. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe, Branson, Burt Rutan, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk's, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Bezos, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Virgin, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, VSS Unity, America, Galactic, Virgin Galactic Holding Inc, . Virgin, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, Unity, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Los Angeles

Virgin Galactic leases part of the facility. The flight marked a long-delayed breakthrough for Virgin Galactic Holding Inc (SPCE.N), finally inaugurating commercial service after nearly 20 years fraught by development setbacks. Virgin Galactic said Unity topped out its flight at an altitude of nearly 52.9 miles (85.1 km). A final crewed test flight to space was conducted with little fanfare five weeks ago. An earlier prototype of the Virgin Galactic rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another.

☆ Virgin Galactic launches first paying customers to the edge of space
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Virgin Galactic, the venture founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, successfully launched its first paying customers to the edge of space — a milestone two decades in the making. (Future Virgin Galactic flights, however, are expected to include a range of high-profile customers.) Bennett’s role was to assess the comfort and function of the flight, using that information to inform future changes Virgin Galactic might make to its rocket-powered space plane, VSS Unity. Organizations such as NASA have routinely flown experiments on suborbital rockets, including Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin missions. In a tragic 2014 accident, Virgin Galactic’s space plane broke apart during flight, killing the mission’s copilot, Michael Alsbury.

Persons: Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic’s, Jeff Bezos’s, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Colin Bennett, Pantaleone, Branson, Burt Rutan, Paul Allen, Hamish Harding, Michael Alsbury, — Organizations: CNN, Virgin Galactic, Italian Air Force, Virgin, SpaceX, Italy’s National Research Council, Branson, VSS, VSS Unity, NASA, International, National Research Council, Microsoft, Galactic, OceanGate, Scaled Composites, Origin, Congress, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA Locations: British, New Mexico, United States

The flight, dubbed Galactic 01, comes two years after Branson himself rode along with five other Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc (SPCE.N) personnel for the company's first fully crewed test spaceflight of its rocket plane, VSS Unity. Back then, Virgin Galactic officials said they expected to begin regular commercial operations in 2022 following additional test flights. Virgin Galactic had projected booking its first 1,000 paying customers, charging about $250,000 per seat, by the time commercial service opened. An earlier prototype of Virgin Galactic's rocket plane crashed during a test flight over California's Mojave Desert in 2014, killing one pilot and seriously injuring another. Billionaire rival Jeff Bezos, whose astro-tourist venture Blue Origin has already flown several commercial passenger flights, has disparaged Virgin Galactic as falling short of a true spaceflight experience.

Persons: Richard Branson, Joe Skipper, Branson, Walter Villadei, Angelo Landolfi, Pantaleone, Colin Bennett, Michael Masucci, Nicola Pecile, Branson's, Jeff Bezos, Virgin, Shepard rocketship, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Steve Gorman, Will Dunham Organizations: Virgin, Unity, REUTERS, Virgin Galactic, National Research Council, Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc, VSS, Galactic, SpaceX, Origin, Italian Air Force, International Space, Air Force, . Air Force, America, Corporate, NASA, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, Italy, Mexico, Italian, Branson, Bezos, Los Angeles

Some billionaires rocketed into space as Branson and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have. Other rich travelers journeyed on a submersible to explore the wreckage of the ocean liner Titanic. For $250,000 to $300,000 a trip, Kent sometimes fields unusual requests including helping a Saudi prince fulfill his dream of flying a plane onto and off of an aircraft carrier. The experience was so demanding that Ackman's father expressed concern about the intended trip, not for his son but for another fund manager who had signed up to go. One person familiar with that excursion said it probably wouldn't happen again, in part because it was such a potentially risky undertaking.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Richard Branson, Branson, Jeff Bezos, ”, Alexandre Cymbalista, Geoffrey Kent, Kent, Goldman Sachs, Monica Heslington, Goldman, Melissa Biggs Bradley, Massimo Bottura, Bill Ackman, Whitney Tilson, Tilson, Ackman, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Tatiana Bautzer, Julia Harte, Nupur Anand, Paritosh Bansal, Anna Driver Organizations: REUTERS, Twitter, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Group, Amazon, Wall Street, Abercrombie, Kent, Credit Suisse, SPECIAL, Goldman, Art Basel, Rubell Museum, Bank of America, Indagare, Ferrari, Navy, Svea, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, New York City, Branson, safaris, Botswana, Kent, Saudi, Africa, Miami, Art Basel, Modena, Italian, Mongolia, California

☆ From Titanic tours to space exploration: extreme tourism is on the rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Kukenan (L) and Roraima mounts are seen from the Tec Camp, near Venezuela's border with Brazil January 14, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File PhotoJune 21 (Reuters) - The $250,000-a-head expedition that vanished this week en route to the deep-sea wreck of the Titanic ocean liner is just one example of extreme tourism that is becoming more commonplace for those who can afford it. Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings said last week its first commercial spaceflight, called "Galactic 01", would launch between June 27 and June 30. Before he set his sights on space, Branson was one of an elite group of extreme hot-air balloon travelers, becoming the first to traverse the Pacific Ocean in a balloon in 1991. Reporting by Julia Harte; editing by Donna Bryson and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Branson, Arthur Conan Doyle's, Julia Harte, Donna Bryson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Tec, REUTERS, SPACE, Virgin Galactic Holdings, SpaceX, Heli, Thomson Locations: Roraima, Venezuela's, Brazil, Indian Kashmir, India, Pakistan, New Delhi, Mount Roraima, Venezuela

☆ OceanGate Expeditions' Titanic tourism is a thing, and it's dangerous
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But for those willing to shell out, tourism and research company OceanGate Expeditions offered eight-day missions that allow customers to explore the Titanic more than 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface using five-seat carbon fiber and titanium underwater vessels. OceanGate launched successful expeditions to the Titanic wreckage in 2021 and 2022. Geoffrey Kent, the founder of luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent, has recently planned trips for clients including race car driving on ice in Finland and orangutan trekking in Borneo. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush has also repeatedly claimed that existing submersible regulations needlessly prioritize passenger safety over commercial innovation. But it also hasn’t innovated or grown—because they have all these regulations,” Rush said in an interview that appeared in a June 2019 issue of Smithsonian Magazine.

Persons: –, ”, Nick D’Annunzio, TARA, OceanGate, Stockton Rush, Andrea Doria, Bill Sikes, Rush, Knight Frank, “, Gideon Kimbrell, Everest’s, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Geoffrey Kent, Sal Mercogliano, hasn’t, It’s, ” Rush, David Pogue, don’t, “ Don’t, ” It’s, D’Annunzio, Ann Epting, Epting, Brad Lendon, Parija Kavilanz Organizations: CNN, OceanGate Expeditions, US Coast Guard, Expeditions, Stockton Rush, Rescuers, OceanGate Foundation, Virgin Galactic, Virgin, VSS Unity, Origin, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Abercrombie, Kent, Campbell University, Smithsonian Magazine, CBS, Federal Aviation Administration, SpaceX, FAA, Kent’s, Abercrombie & Kent Locations: Everett , Washington, Boston, Stockton, Finland, Borneo, North Carolina, Oman

☆ Stockton Rush: What we know about the Titan submersible's pilot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Rush has approached his dream of deep-sea exploration with child-like verve and an antipathy toward regulations — a pattern that has come into sharp relief since Sunday night, when his vessel, the Titan, went missing. But in 2004, he told Smithsonian, the dream shifted after Richard Branson launched the first commercial aircraft into space. “I had this epiphany that this was not at all what I wanted to do,” Rush told the magazine. The commercial sub industry is “obscenely safe” he told Smithsonian, “because they have all these regulations. He also asked Rush about what the vessel’s “MacGyvery” components — like the plastic PlayStation controller and LED lights that Rush bought from an RV retailer.

Persons: Jacques Cousteau, Rush, MacArthur, you’re, ” Rush, Alan Estrada, ”, Richard Branson, Kirk, OceanGate, Greg Gilbert, Estrada, “, David Lochridge, OceanGate hasn’t, David Pogue, You’re, Pogue, plumb, Nick D’Annunzio, TARA, Celina Tebor, Sam Delouya Organizations: New, New York CNN, Stockton Rush, verve, Princeton, Smithsonian Magazine, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, UC Berkeley, Smithsonian, Enterprise, OceanGate, Everett, NASA, CBS, Boeing, University of Washington, USA, Michelin Locations: New York, Seattle, Washington

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