Watch: Virgin Galactic launches first space tourism flight

Virgin Galactic's first space flight with paying passengers aboard launched Thursday. CBS News space analyst William Harwood joins us with coverage of the VSS Unity Rocket and the three paying customers aboard.
#news #virgingalactic #spaceflight
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[@kurtdewittphoto]

If I'm paying $450,000, you better make it last more than 3-4 minutes.

[@laurelgirard8475]

That’s amazing! The courage of them all! I used to think people were crazy, but as I get older I think it’s the ultimate adventure. Unfortunately, I have many health issues , so I couldn’t go, but kudos to all involved! As a person with severe arthritis (since age 10), do we know the effect of weightlessness on pain? Is it like swimming that amazingly soothes most hurts? The man with Parkinson’s is stable (I believe) after being diagnosed 9 years ago. I believe he is on medication and has climbed my Kilimanjaro since.

[@GeorgeNzioki-ls6nn]

Branson must be a very proud man quite a great achievement for humanity

[@RedB-jp4mj]

Next batch: flat earthers

[@snapcole6402]

I don’t think this would convince them lol you can be weightless in an airplane

[@andyb.1200]

And look out the window

[@Priyanka10414]

My childhood dream😭

[@ronniesquires]

❤so ready

[@pr5103]

Awesome stuff

[@gregoryjohnson5332]

Fantastic work

[@ranapratapsingh3416]

This is really really incredible.

[@WaresHadi]

What emergency procedure can be done by the space tourist in the space ? I mean, is there any scope ??

[@JohnV170]

Nothing. If something goes bad nothing can be done.

[@SandyWolf-]

Hope they post a pic for those Flat earthers😂😂

[@Imprisoner3493]

Lol we should sent all flat earthers on this plane 😂

[@GeorgeNzioki-ls6nn]

Congratulations hope to see more of space travel soon

[@thatomofolo452]

To infinity and beyond 🚀🚀🚀🙃

[@GeorgeNzioki-ls6nn]

Congratulations once again Branson just conquered space travel

[@matthewlastrapes8104]

How much are the tickets to ride I am going to guess as much as a plane ticket

[@sebastiannolte1201]

250,000 $

[@hickey4747]

And flat earthers will still say there is no curve to the earth 😂😂

[@shanec8224]

Sure, you can see curve.. Also if you look at the straight lines of the plane, you can see them curve too.. this footage is filmed with a wide angle lens, creating bend at the edges. At 300k feet of altitude, the amount of bend you're seeing is what you'd see with a straight line. Still not convinced.

[@Robert-cq5oi]

@@shanec8224what are the straight parts of the plane that curve?! 😂 time stamp it

[@shanec8224]

@@Robert-cq5oi 😂 sure plain to see at 12.26… the entire plane is fit within the frame. You can see the straight edge of the rear bending.. To be able to do that the camera is mounted on the craft. To fit the entire craft in the frame it has to be a wide angle, creating bending distortion.

[@Robert-cq5oi]

⁠@@shanec8224there’s nothing bending my man you reaching hard rn. In that same frame you can see a small part of the earth. If what you’re saying is true it would be bending that as well. So glad regular citizens are able to go to space so we can put this flat earth to rest 😂

[@shanec8224]

@@Robert-cq5oi that’s precisely why the horizon line of earth is bending… if you don’t think that’s a wide angle lense, I don’t know what to tell you

[@cryptobra5933]

Flat earthers punching the air at space tourism.

[@RafalLabuda777]

👍👍👍

[@3dsmaxrocks699]

"It's still flat tho"....and "coriolis effect" -that one guy that never disappoints

[@JohnV170]

Even if one was sent up there the rest of the flat earth community would claim they were paid off lol

[@cryptobra5933]

@@JohnV170 lol yep

[@GeorgeNzioki-ls6nn]

Nice hope humanity conquers interstellar travel

[@Claudia-bo5vf]

how much gas did this flight burn for just getting a glimpse of earth from the above?

[@Imprisoner3493]

True and the flight will only last upto maximum of 90 min

[@3dsmaxrocks699]

How much gas is wasted sitting in traffic? Answer: Billions of gallons.

[@randomgreyalien4835]

*What's up flat earthers?*

[@GeorgeNzioki-ls6nn]

Like that part compare with Nasa rockets

[@GeorgeNzioki-ls6nn]

Space tourism just became humanity's domain congratulations to the ingenious

[@MeeMee-gz5vp]

Near space, outer space, who cares. I wanna go.

[@3dsmaxrocks699]

You have a bouncy castle at home Billy! 😂

[@GeorgeNzioki-ls6nn]

Any pre space travel training of swimming?

[@Mobbbyyy]

i thought taking off should be like a space shuttle? haha

[@chuckb9867]

Is this like going to the Titanic? On a submarine

[@SlayerJim]

It’s actually much safer

[@Deadassbruhfrfr]

Bruh, deep sea terrifies me. Space is cool though.

[@Imprisoner3493]

​@@Deadassbruhfrfryup same can't imagine being alone in middle of sea at night 😶

[@AceKiller9000]

*During their 90 min flight, 540 starving children died of hunger. During their 5 mins of weightlessness, 30 children died of hunger. A $200,000 Virgin Galactic Ticket would have fed 13,330 starving African children for 1 month.* (Source: World Food Program $15 per child)

[@RPO767]

AceKiller9000....Yes, an interesting point and I agree but I have to ask, if you had that amount of expendable money, is that what you would spend it on? You only live once and if these folks want to spend their own money on an adventure than that's their right and it shouldn't be any concern of others. That money, although it would temporarily feed and delay hunger deaths wouldn't even scratch the surface at reducing human pain and suffering worldwide. There are better ways than just throwing money at the problem.

[@richboz3156]

No need to be concerned, I'm sure some of the tax dollars that were paid will go help them people. Also, the scientific research that was done on this flight may help all people around the world in the future

[@Deadassbruhfrfr]

Thanks! I'll think of that, next time I watch a movie while eating popcorn.

[@MementoMori1000]

Think about how many children died making your phone so you could type this. Don’t try and down people for things like this you contribute to death every day when you eat consume etc everything has a cost people don’t have to die but they do and until it changes on all levels there’s nothing you can do to against it your shirts clothes appliances everything you have has death at one point in it’s origin

[@RafalLabuda777]

Who asked?

[@alexgarmoles200]

I saw 3 ovnis

[@eric1172]

Well, at least this ship cannot sink :/

[@anotherdamn6c]

Let’s all chip in and give Clarence Thomas a memorable vacation!

[@kyleflammang7695]

His billionaire friends will do that for him after a couple favors already. No need.

[@rickster100100]

One way. No return flight.

[@3dsmaxrocks699]

What's wrong with Clarence Thomas?

[@Mobbbyyy]

so much for saving gas.

[@JohnV170]

Rockets don't use gas lol 😆

[@Mobbbyyy]

@@JohnV170 rockets, fuels, etc. they all consist of carbon whether a composition or on method of production

[@JohnV170]

@@Mobbbyyy oh well. This is worth it.

[@VA1ENTINX]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 good movie bud

[@JohnV170]

I can't wait until they send up a flat earther like you.

[@verioffkin]

Too hairy space. Gimme a break! Men at disadvantage again!

[@soundkush528hzthecrown]

I wonder how a call to customer services would go on this flight. 3*2*1 we have blast off🚀. 🧑🏾‍🚀📱Ring ☎️Ring 🧑🏼‍💻 Mission Control Hi ehhhh, Mission Control, ehhh wtf. We have been abducted by aliens & made to return, now I am shitting star dust, This wasn't in the small print! 🤣😫😫😫😫🤦🏿☠️😫

[@nick_dizzle]

So many better things you could blow that money on😔

[@Deadassbruhfrfr]

To be fair. Rich people should blow their money on these things. Because eventually, it will become cheaper for the rest of us.

[@JohnV170]

Not at all. Development of space travel is beneficial to all of us. It will become cheaper over time too.

[@GeorgeNzioki-ls6nn]

Next attract Russia and Chinese oligarchs

[@somethingtojenga]

This entire "industry" is taking advantage of the fact that people associate weightlessness with space. It has NOTHING TO DO WITH SPACE. You're weightless if you're falling, no matter what. You could go up 10 feet, and if you could afford to fall for 5 minutes, you would be weightless for 5 minutes. Planes do the same thing for NASA astronaut trainees and space films, they go up to cruising altitude and fall for a minute and a half, go up again, and fall again, over and over, never getting anywhere near space. This is going to be WAY overpriced because of how high it goes and you get maybe a few extra minutes being weightless. But it's suborbital and there's NO heat shielding, which means this thing doesn't go a FRACTION as fast as orbital craft do. It's a glorified plane.

[@iparty98]

It's a Spaceplane, and it will get better as the technology advances, they are spending a lot of money in Research & Development right now, this will become cheaper, more sustainable, and more available to everyone in some time.

[@JohnV170]

Orbit is free fall. Learn a bit about physics.

[@somethingtojenga]

@@JohnV170 You're really going to insult people's intelligence when you can't even properly comprehend what I said? Go ahead and read it again.

[@JohnV170]

@@somethingtojenga this is just the beginning. You expect them to have a fully functioning spacecraft? Space tourism has to start somewhere.

[@Agent-cu5pv]

Risking their life exploding in space??? Have we not learned the risk of Titan imploding under water??? Hope they have their WILL written out in advance.

[@darthrevan1281]

Unlike the Oceangate which did whatever their insane founder wanted because they operated in international waters, commercial space companies have the FAA and NASA looking over their shoulder constantly.

[@rickster100100]

I imagine they would.

[@alex-E7WHU]

Not one word about the carbon footprint of this unnecessary vanity project. Bunch of hypocrites.

[@RafalLabuda777]

Who asked?

[@JohnV170]

Making spaceflight cheaper is a good thing, space has unlimited resources ready to be harvested, but we need cheaper methods. Even a flight like this made for tourism helps the advancement of the technology.

[@GotoHere]

That’s a complete waste of money and resources.

[@Deadassbruhfrfr]

You gotta start somewhere!

[@JohnV170]

Your the same kind of person that said exploring the oceans was a waste.

[@xdc1776]

😂 impossible you can not get out of the firmament FACT

[@Robert-cq5oi]

😂

[@xdc1776]

We live in a clown 🤡 world 🌍 and The sheep love it

[@snapcole6402]

Weightless can be experienced way lower lol