Aston Kutcher was in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. The split between Aston and actress Demi Moore was reported widely. The newly single star has joined the growing list of people who have registered with the Virgin Galactic service for their maiden space flight. The flamboyant entrepreneur Richard Branson who owns Virgin Atlantic broke the news on his blog. Branson is known for his trademark publicity stunts. His space flight project is in its final stage of testing. Branson mentioned in his blog that he immediately called Aston to welcome and congratulate him.
Branson’s blog has online links to videos showing the spaceships that are in the final stages of an exhaustive test flight program. Branson has also highlighted the fact that safety is of paramount importance for their program. They are ensuring that everything as safe as it can possibly be before launching the commercial flights. He is committed to take the first commercial flight with his kids. Aston did not comment on Branson’s message on his blog but re-tweeted it on his own tweeter feed. The preparation for the first commercial flight in space is on fast track. Branson had inaugurated the first commercial spaceport in the New Mexico desert last October and extensive testing are going on there since then. The launch aircraft are called WhiteKnightTwos and the orbital spacecrafts are called SpaceShipTwos.
Private players have stepped in this field because NASA ended its 30-year shuttle program last year. Space travel involves high technology and will always be priced so high that it will be affordable for the very rich. And the element of risk involved will always make it exciting.
