Stephen Hawkings to Travel into Space

In an interview with Piers Morgan, Stephen Hawkings announced that he has been offered a seat on a Virgin Galactic flight by fellow Brit, Sir Richard Branson.  “I said yes immediately,” the 75-year-old cosmologist told Morgan during their talk for the Good Morning Britain news program. 

Virgin Galactic, which was founded by Branson, the billionaire entrepreneur, is hoping to make civilian space travel a reality in the very near future, although a date has not been set for a maiden voyage out of the atmosphere. The spaceflight company has been working on their ‘space tourist’ program for over 12 years.  The rocket powered SpaceShipTwo, Galactic’s current vehicle, will carry six passengers and two pilots, to altitudes up to 361,000 feet, at speeds of up to 2,500 miles per hour.

Over 700 people have reserved rides on future flights at a cost of $250,000 each.  

Back in 2007 Hawkings, who suffers from ALS and is almost completely paralyzed, took a zero gravity flight which allowed him to experience weightlessness.  Afterwards he stated that he hoped it would lead to a trip into space.  Thanks to Branson and the team at Virgin Galactic his wish may come true.