Richard Branson Gets His Astronaut Wings Today.

[martin-w 3,315]

1 hour ago, Chock said:

I'm not the arbiter of whether anyone should forgive anyone. I merely answered a query about why some people don't like the guy which was asked on this thread.

 

I'm aware. And I simply gave an alternative perspective. 🙂 "We" wasn't necessarily referring to you, it was directed to those "some people" who don't like him. You did say he had a big ego though, not sure why. 

[Dominique_K 10,156]

1 hour ago, Chock said:

 .

Whilst some people might suggest it doesn't really matter, it kind of does in legal terms, since if you're not in space in legal/agreed terms, 

 I know the legal implications including for defense... but Chock, please, almost (note quite but almost) regular people like you and me  went up 86 km, don't let some byzantine hair splitting legalese spoil the day 🤣.  They went to space !

[martin-w 3,315]

1 hour ago, Chock said:

That's only true since 2005, and NASA only really changed their designation to suit the US military.

 

Doesn't matter, 2005 or not, its still true. We live now not prior to 2005.

 

Quote

Since the atmosphere is a gradient, it's not really possible to say exactly where it actually turns into 'space'

 

I know, as I said, the atmosphere can be defined as extending all the way to the Moon. Strange but true. 

Edited July 12, 2021 by martin-w

[martin-w 3,315]

10 minutes ago, overspeed3 said:

Hey, you could also be weightless in the Vomit Comet - but are you an astronaut?😝

 

Both Branson and our intrepid "Vomit Comet" passengers weren't really weightless, they were simply at the top of a parabolic curve. 

Edited July 12, 2021 by martin-w

[martin-w 3,315]

2 hours ago, psolk said:

Bezos is incredibly interesting guy.  Total Star Trek nerd and Space Geek.

 

Yep, if it wasn't for Bezo's The Expanse would have been cancelled. He refused to let them cancel his favourite show so over ruled them. For that reason I love him. 😁

[jmdriskell 183]

How ‘bout astronaut wings for the first chimpanzee launched on top of an Atlas rocket.  Spam in the can as some called the ride.  Similar grins if I remember.

[Fielder 3,904]

"First Capitalist Pig in Space"!  - Havana Trabajadores Newspaper

[Mike A 357]

How Virgin Galactic got here

Virgin Galactic moved into its facilities in New Mexico in May 2019 after years of delay. The glitzy building, called Spaceport America, was paid for with more than $200 million in mostly taxpayer money, and it had been waiting nearly a decade for Virgin Galactic to move in and open for business.

(bold mine)

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/11/tech/richard-branson-virgin-galactic-space-flight-scn/index.html

"Let me tell you about the very rich.  They are different from you and me." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Edited July 12, 2021 by Mike A
added quote

[kangoat 583]

Anyone here interested in going up?

https://www.omaze.com/products/virgin-galactic-2021

[DrumsArt 270]

It made me want to reinstall Orbiter! Done! 😎

Richard.