Posted: Sat, Jul 3, 2021, 11:14 AM ET (1514 GMT)
Virgin Galactic announced Thursday that founder Richard Branson will be on the next SpaceShipTwo suborbital flight July 11, flying to the edge of space days before Jeff Bezos. The company said Branson will join three employees in the cabin of SpaceShipTwo, along with two pilots, on the flight from Spaceport America. Branson will evaluate the overall experience "to enhance the journey for all future astronaut customers," the company said. Branson originally was to go on the second of three flights Virgin expects to carry out through the fall, and the company didn't elaborate on why Branson will be on the earlier flight. It does allow Branson the opportunity to go to space nine days before Bezos flies on Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle.

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