RICHARD BRANSON FLIES TO SPACE IN HIS OWN VIRGIN GALACTIC AIRCRAFT
Billionaire Richard Branson has become the first person to reach the edge of space in his own aircraft.
The aircraft, named Unity, was carried by the mothership Eve for 45 minutes before it disengaged so that it could reach the lower levels of space.
For four minutes, the six astronauts experienced the weightlessness that could only be felt in space, where there is zero gravity, before they returned home again.
As the aircraft reached space, Branson could be heard saying "to the next generation of dreamers, if we can do this… just imagine what you could do" before he unclipped his seatbelt and floated around the aircraft with the five other astronauts.
The entire trip took less than an hour, but the almost 70-year-old took 17 years to turn his dream into a reality.
"Everything that I had dreamt about as a kid came true, and I've been to space!"
On the morning of the history-making flight to space, fellow billionaire and space enthusiast Elon Musk visited Branson to wish him good luck.
If you're interested in catching the next Virgin Galactic flight to space, you'll be glad to hear that you can enter a competition to win one of two seats available. If you're not one of the lucky winners, you can always buy your seat on the next available flight for $250 000.
Watch the ABC video below for more on Richard Branson's flight to space.
Image credit: CBS News