- Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo with Burt Rutan and Richard Branson
Commercial astronaut reaches for the stars
Swissinfo.ch
Banker Peter von May is planning to become the first ever Swiss space tourist onboard Richard Branson’s pioneering Virgin Galactic space shuttle.
The flight, the first commercial venture of its kind, will climb up to a height of 110 kilometres above the globe, allowing the passengers to feel weightlessness and catch an exceptional view of the Earth.
Von May, a keen amateur pilot, is one of just 100 founder astronauts who have already paid $200,000 (SFr217,000) to be among the first Virgin Galactic customers. The first flights are expected to take place next year.
The 64-year-old signed up to the venture in 2007 after seeing it advertised in one of his flying magazines. One of the convincing factors for him was the presence of renowned aerospace engineer Burt Rutan on the project.
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