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In an interview with a US news station, Richard Branson has revealed this he’ll be taking his kids up with him when the first Virgin Galactic edge-of-space planes start running next year — but a mission to Mars is his new ultimate fantasy.
Speaking about how he sees the burgeoning private space industry growing over the next few decades, Branson told CBS: “In my lifetime, I’m determined to being a part of starting a population on Mars. I think it is absolutely realistic. It will happen.”
So not only does he want to go to Mars, he wants to impregnate its indigenous people when he gets there. Charming.
The investment to fund such extravagant fantasy missions will come from the shorter sub-orbital trips. With Branson charging around £80,000 a time to take pop stars and TV moguls on short runs up to the upper atmosphere, that level of income will allow the business to expand further, eventually moving into satellite launches and beyond.
“I think over the next 20 years, we will take literally hundreds of thousands of people to space and that will give us the financial resources to do even bigger things,” the bearded dreamer said, before coming back down to reality to talk about the depressing state of US internal flights. [CBS via io9]
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Branson wants to go home! How quickly can we get him there and can we please leave him there?
I’m perfectly happy if he wants to go to Mars, less happy if he wants to come back.
Richard Branson is one of the few people truly trying to progress humanity. Him and Elon musk are true leaders.
Very true.
Your autocorrect seems to be wonky – it’s replaced “self-publicists” with “leaders”…
Shouldn’t that be ‘Bond Villains’?
He’s basically just a less ginger Hank scorpio http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Hank_Scorpio
Haha that’s one of my favourite Simpsons episodes..
“Sir, I need to know where I can get some business hammocks”
“Hank Scorpio is a parody of British Billionaire Richard Branson”
From your link.
Goodness, so I’ve accused somebody of being like a fictional character that’s actually based on him? Oh no, I’ve fallen into a Metaloop.
Branson did get frisked in Casino Royale (probably due to the TSA’s guidelines on dealing with bearded men…)
As for Mr Musk, while he sounds like a perfect match for Mr Wint and Mr Kidd, he’d be about as intimidating as them too.
The First Man on Mars Could be… Richard Bloody Branson?
Good.
“I’m determined to being a part of starting a population on Mars.” – note the wording carefully. Not “I wan’t to found a colony on Mars”. Basically what he is saying is he wants to go to Mars with loads of momen and have them pop out lots of mini Bransons.
Apart from the Bransons bit, I can’t see anything wrong with that!
Who cares who it is, because.. MARS!!
“I think over the next 20 years, we will take literally hundreds of thousands of people to space and that will give us the financial resources to do even bigger things,” – he needs to invest into some immortality research first. He may not live long enough to fulfill his dreams.
What’s wrong with Branson? He has ambition and, as Pleasethink said, he is doing something to push the boundaries – we need more like him. This is true progress and innovation that matters, not a higher resolution screen or something equally vacuous.
“So not only does he want to go to Mars, he wants to impregnate its indigenous people when he gets there. Charming.” – Hilarious!
Uh oh!
Can I Just say? SpaceShipTwo looks absolutely beautiful in that shot?
Shot. With a period.
Thats disgusting sir. If that were the case, future stellar trips would be a bloody mess.
And we’d only be able to do it once a month. That would really screw with Branson’s timetables for recouping the money he spent on this.
Sure a months wait is a small price to pay for your *cough* ‘red wings’
Oh God, Why?!
*snicker*
How dare he want to be involved in something his company is funding? :p
Go Branson.. one of the few rich people to give more for less and still turn a profit.. i wish him all the best and i think him for possible offering me the a trip in to space (once i find 150K) still bet Nasa will never get there..