About 300 people have paid $200,000 each to be among Richard Branson and Burt Rutan’s first paying passengers on Virgin Galactic. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
Richard Branson smiles at the space ship’s debut. When launched, the craft will be flown to 50,000 feet attached to an airplane. Once released, the ship’s rocket engine will propel the craft to the edge of space-- about 325,000 feet, or 60 miles, from Earth. Passengers will be able not only to see the curvature of the planet but to experience weightlessness. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
Hundreds gathered in the cold Monday for the unveiling of Richard Branson and Bart Rutan’s VSS Enterprise. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson christen the VSS Enterprise at Mojave Air and Space Port. The spaceship was built in California and will be tested and flown in New Mexico. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
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Richard Branson, the British billionaire entrepreneur, gives the thumbs-up sign at the launch. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
