Sir Richard: first space wedding next year

[docm]

Link....<br /><br /><div style="margin:5px20px20px"><div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px">Quote:</div><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1pxinset"><p><strong>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=560792&in_page_id=1773</strong></p><p><strong>I pronounce you spaceman and wife: Branson to be the first man to marry a couple in space</strong><br /><br /><strong><em>Virgin Galactic boss Sir Richard Branson is planning to set yet another record &ndash; by becoming the first man to marry a couple in space.</em></strong><br /><br />The 58-year-old billionaire intends to conduct a ceremony 70 miles above the Earth on the first Galactic sub-orbital flight next year.<br /><br />He has already officiated at one wedding in mid-air. Last year he was ordained for the day in an online church to marry Virgin America marketing director Dimitrios Papadognonas and Coco Jones on a Virgin flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas. <br /><br />He also helped officiate at the wedding of Google co-founder Larry Page on his private island, Necker, in the Caribbean.<br /><br />A spokesman for Virgin Galactic told The Mail on Sunday: "We have had two bookings involving marriage, one to get married in space and the other for the couple to have their honeymoon in space.<br /><br />"It is possible that Richard could obtain a licence to conduct the marriage."<br /><br />The couple who have booked in for a honeymoon on the &pound;100,000-a-ticket maiden flight are Virgin Galactic adviser George Whitesides and his new wife, Loretta Hidalgo.<br /><br />The Virgin Galactic space project is progressing at a dramatic rate and customers will take part in the first test flights this summer. <br /><br />In January, Branson unveiled a model of SpaceShipTwo, the vehicle he promises will turn space tourism into reality.<br /><br />It is designed to hitch a lift on an aircraft to 50,000ft before blasting into the outer atmosphere.<br /><br />So far 200 people have paid for the sub-space experience. Princess Beatrice, whose partner Dave Clark works in the marketing department of Virgin Galactic, has said she plans to be the first Royal in space.<br /><br />Former Dallas actress Victoria Principal, the designer Philippe Starck and wheelchair-bound Professor Stephen Hawking have also paid for trips.<br /><br />The spokesman said: "Customers will have a two-hour flight, go up to 70 miles above the Earth and experience amazing views of the planet, G forces and weightlessness after a three-day training programme."<br /><br />Branson has been involved in a number of world record-breaking attempts.<br /><br />In 1986, he set a record for crossing the Atlantic in a powerboat. And in 1991 he crossed the Pacific in a balloon, breaking all existing records.</p>

 

[holmec]

Branson sure knows how to stay in the news.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>