A Virgin Galactic rocket plane on Friday soared to the edge of space with a test passenger for the first time, nudging British billionaire Richard Branson's company closer to its goal of suborbital flights for space tourists.
Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses, who will train future space tourists, joined pilots onboard SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity to evaluate the customer experience and cabin.
"There's a saying in aviation that the pilots have the best seat in the house, with the view up there. But today, I'm not sure," pilot David Mackay said after the flight, referring to what Moses could see and do.