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In this billionaire space race, it seems like it’s not enough to ditch Earth’s grouchy bonds – not without some glitz and loads of celebrities.
Richard Branson combined private spaceflight with show business as he completed the highly anticipated Virgin Galactic flight high above the New Mexico desert on Sunday. He enlisted “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert to promote parts of the on-air production, which was delayed by nearly 90 minutes due to the weather.
Mr. Colbert has portrayed a humorous rivalry he developed with the entrepreneur on his talk shows over the years, and joked about some of Mr. Branson’s failed business ventures, such as Virgin Cola.
“Seriously, he lost money selling sugar water,” said Mr. Colbert. “All aboard.”
Grammy-winning artist later in production Halite He performed his new song “New Normal” in front of a small crowd on an open-air stage at Spaceport America. The musician, who looked like machines spraying fog on the stage in a sequined jacket, sang three songs.
“Look how far we have come as humanity,” he said during the live broadcast.
About two hours before takeoff, Mr. Branson shared a photo of himself with the shoeless Elon Musk, a billionaire rival in private conquest of space.
“It’s great to start the morning with a friend,” said Mr. Branson. excitement.
Even Mr. Branson’s arrival at Spaceport America was not lacking in showmanship. Surrounded by two white Range Rovers, the British mogul pedaled around the area on a bike at dawn. Video posted by Mr. Branson showed. While there, other members of the flight crew greeted him and joked that he was late.
in England, where it is Knighted by Prince Charles in 2000However, the spotlight did not entirely belong to Mr. Branson. Mr Branson’s space adventure coincided with the men’s tennis final at Wimbledon on Sunday – historically billed as “Breakfast at Wimbledon” for US television audiences.
The flight also came just hours before England took on Italy in the Euro 2020 football finals, which attracted the collective attention of many people in England. Some on social media said that Mr. Branson’s timing was less than ideal.
The live streaming production was not without hiccups. The presenters of the show tried to interview Mr. Branson when the plane reached space, but the audio broadcast was not working. After re-entry, many of his words were distorted as he tried to explain what it was like to visit space.
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