Tag - virgin-galactic

 
 

VIRGIN GALACTIC

Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 24, 2023
Titanic sub disaster puts spotlight on another extreme venture: Space tourism
As the world dissects what went wrong with the doomed OceanGate submersible vessel, the craft’s lack of safeguards is raising questions about space tourism.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 13, 2021
Space billionaires stir alarm with absence of safety oversight
The success of two privately funded human-space launches last month has supercharged the U.S. commercial launch industry, and advocates say the lack of rules is a key component.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 12, 2021
Branson and Virgin Galactic pull off key test for space tourism
The suborbital journey kicks off a landmark month for the future of space tourism, with Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos set to fly on a rocket made by Blue Origin, his space venture.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 29, 2019
Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space tourism venture achieves NYSE debut liftoff
Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. became the first space-tourism business to go public as it began trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 11, 2019
Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit completes key high-altitude rocket-launch test
Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit on Wednesday released a rocket from the wing of a modified Boeing 747 jetliner in midair in a key test of its high-altitude launch system for satellites, the company said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 23, 2019
Virgin Galactic flies first test passenger to the edge of space
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.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 22, 2018
Just exactly where is the final frontier?
The line between atmosphere and outer space is surprisingly debatable. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo may or may not have crossed it.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 14, 2018
Virgin Galactic rocket ship reaches space in test flight, setting stage for tourists to boldly go
A Virgin Galactic rocket plane reached space on Thursday and returned safely to the California desert, capping years of testing to become the first U.S. commercial human flight to breach Earth's atmosphere since America's shuttle program ended in 2011.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2017
Branson ready to resume powered flights of rocket plane, eyes 2018 trip to space
Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is poised to resume powered test flights more than 30 months after the fatal breakup of its experimental rocket plane, with the billionaire entrepreneur aiming to make the first trip into space himself by the middle of next year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 2, 2016
ANA joins space tourism push as possible rival to Virgin, Blue Origin
ANA Holdings Inc. has invested in PD Aerospace Ltd., a Japanese company developing a craft to take people into space as early as 2023 that aims to rival Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Ltd.
EDITORIALS
Nov 6, 2014
Space, the final frontier
Given the many, irreducible uncertainties of space flight tourism in the future — brought home last week by the crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo vehicle — the guiding principle for customers is likely to be 'informed consent.'
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 4, 2014
Virgin Galactic crash won't deter space tourists
Grisly though it sounds, one strong customer market for comparatively high-risk Virgin Galactic space tourism flights of the future may be affluent people with a terminal medical diagnosis.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 4, 2014
Rocket plane's tail activated prematurely in fatal crash
A team investigating the fatal test-flight crash of a Virgin Galactic passenger spaceship found that its rotating tail, designed to ease re-entry into the atmosphere, was activated prematurely, and said pilot error could not be ruled out.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 3, 2014
Virgin Galactic CEO expects new spacecraft to be ready next year, after crash probe wraps up
Virgin Galactic could have a new spacecraft ready to fly by next year, the chief executive of Richard Branson's space tourism company said in an interview published on Sunday, reacting to concerns about the safety of technology used in the Virgin craft that crashed Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 7, 2014
New Tokyo travel agency to market ¥25 million tickets for space tours
Booking a tour in space is now possible in Japan thanks to the establishment of a Tokyo travel agency that deals exclusively with the above and beyond — for those who can pay the ¥25 million fare.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?