Virgin Galactic launch: Rocket successfully carries first paying customers

Sir Richard Branson’s rocket company Virgin Galactic has successfully launched its first paying customers towards space. A plane carrying the space company’s VSS Unity rocket took off from the New Mexico desert for its “Galactic 01” mission after nearly two decades of preparation. The operation started around 4pm BST, or 11am local time. Virgin Galactic’s mothership - VSS Eve - flew to around 45,000 ft before dropping its space plane, VSS Unity, which has then blasted towards space. Read more: Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: Get the latest headlines: and are websites of The Telegraph, the UK’s best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture. #VirginGalactic #VSSUnity #Branson