SOARING TOWARDS SPACE.
IN A REMOTE, DESOLATE SPOT IN
THE NEW MEXICO DESERT,
BILLIONAIRE RICHARD BRANSONS
DREAMS ARE ABOUT TO COME TRUE.
>> I ALWAYS ENVISIONED AS A KID
THAT A SPACESHIP SHOULD BE -- IT
SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS.
>> YOU DID?
YOU ENVISIONED THAT WHEN YOU
WERE A KID?
>> I JUST THOUGHT THATS HOW YOU
SHOULD FLY TO SPACE.
>> AFTER NEARLY TWO DECADES OF
PLAID WORK AND TRAGEDY, BRANSON
IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH TO TECHNOLOGY
OF SPACE ON A SHIP DUBBED UNITY.
FIRST CARRIED BY A MOTHER SHIP
NAMED AFTER HIS OWN MOTHER, EVE.
>> SO YOUR SHIP DROPS FROM THE
BOOK OF THAT WING, YOU LIGHT THE
ROCKET AND THEN YOURE OFF TO
THE RACES?
>> 300,000 MILES AN HOUR IN 8
SECONDS.
>> 3,000 IN 8 -- THATS EASY.
>> ITS EASY.
ITS GOING TO BE QUITE A RIDE.
>> BRANSON HAS WANTED TO GO TO
SPACE SINCE WATCHING THE APOLLO
11 MOON LANDING.
AFTER BUILDING HIS VIRGIN EM
PART, HE STARTED VIRGIN GALACTIC
WITH THE DREAM OF TAKING
EVERYDAY AMERICANS 50 MILES HIGH
TO THE EDGE OF SPACE FOR A
WEIGHTLESS EXPERIENCE AND A ONCE
IN A LIFETIME VIEW.
>> WOW, LOOK AT THAT VIEW.
>> GORGEOUS.
>> AT THAT MOMENT, WE WILL HAVE
BECOME ASTRONAUTS.
I WILL PINCH MYSELF.
AND PINCH MYSELF AGAIN AND
AGAIN.
>> YOU CANT WAIT.
>> I CANT WAIT.
>> ITS TAKEN 17 YEARS TO GET
HERE.
IN 2014, TRAGEDY STRUCK WHEN A
TEST PILOT WAS KILLED IN A
HORRIFIC ACCIDENT.
NOW, AFTER REDESIGNS AND SAFETY
DELAYS, ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO FOR A
SUNDAY LAUNCH.
FOR YEARS, 70-YEAR-OLD BRANSON
HAS BEEN STRENUOUSLY TRAINING.
>> IVE MANAGED TO BUILD SOME
MUSCLE.
SO IN MY SPACE SUIT --
>> YOURE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS
HERE.
>> SO THEYRE GOING TO HAVE TO
GET ME A BIGGER SPACE SUIT.
>> AND THERES BRAGGING RIGHTS.
ANOTHER BILLIONAIRE, JEFF BAY
SQUEEZE AND HIS SPACE
CALIFORNIA, BLUE ORIGIN, ARE
ALSO ABOUT TO LAUNCH.
WHEN BEZOS ANNOUNCED HE WOULD
FLY ON JULY 20th --
>> CHANGING RELATIONSHIP WITH
THIS PLANET, WITH HUMANITY.
>> VIRGIN ANNOUNCED IT WOULD FLY
ON JULY 11, BEATING BEZOS FOR
NINE DAYS.
>> IS THERE ANY COMPETITION WITH
BEZOS?
>> I KNOW NOBODY WILL BE ME WHEN
I SAY THIS, BUT, IN FACT, THERE
ISNT.
IN FACT, HE SAYS THE WORLD NEEDS
BOTH SPACE TOURISM COMPANIES.
ALREADY 700 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED
UP TO RIDE ON BRANSONS SHIP.
LIKE TOM HANKS, JUSTIN BIEBER,
AND LADY GAGA.
JOINING BRANSON ON THIS
PASSENGER TEST FLIGHT, THREE
OTHER VIRGIN EMPLOYEES.
NOW ALL FOUR ARE IN THEIR FINAL
TRAINING SESSIONS FOR LAUNCH.
>> I DID THE SPINNING CUPS AT
DISNEY WORLD.
IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH TO PREPARE
ME FOR THIS?
>> YOU LOOK VERY FIT, VERY
HEALTHY AND WE WOULD LOVE TO
HAVE YOU ON BOARD ONE DAY.
>> OH, REALLY?
HOW SOON?
BECAUSE IM UP FOR IT.
>> IF I WAS YOU, I WOULD JUST
STOWAWAY.
IVE ALWAYS DREAMT OF STOWING
AWAY ON SOMETHING AND NOBODY
EVER TRIED A SPACESHIP YET.
>> SO BRANSON IS INVITING ME TO
STOWAWAY ON A SPACESHIP.
I DONT THINK MY WIFE WOULD GO
FOR IT.
BOTTOM LINE, FAA HAS APPROVED
VIRGIN GALACTIC FOR COMMERCIAL
PASSENGER FLIGHTS.
THATS GOING TO START IN 2022.
THEYRE GOING TO LIFT OFF ON
SUNDAY, 7:00 A.M. MOUNTAIN TIME,
GUYS.
IT WILL BE A LOT OF FUN.
>> I MEAN --
>> IT REALLY IS REMARKABLE.
TOM, IT WAS HARD TO TELL WHO WAS
MORE EXCITED, YOU OR SIR RICHARD
BRANSON.
HERE IS THE THING.
IF THIS IS JUST THE START, THAT
$250,000 PRICE TAG, IS THAT
GOING TO COME DOWN?
ASKING FOR A FRIEND.
>> SO, YEAH, EXACTLY.
HE SAYS, LISTEN, IT COULD GO UP
AND DOWN.
ULTIMATELY, THEY WOULD LIKE IT
TO COME DOWN BECAUSE HE SAYS WE
REALLY WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE
SOMETHING YOU GIVE YOUR KID WHO
GRADUATES FROM HIGH SCHOOL OR
COLLEGE OR MAYBE YOU THEIVE GIVE
IT TO A SPOUSE AS A GIFT.
THEY THINK IT WILL TOM COUNSEL,
NOT YET, THOUGH, THEY HAVE A LOT
OF BILLS TO PAY OFF.
VIRGIN GALACTIC STOCK HAS SOARED
WITH THIS BRANSON/BEZOS
COMPETITION.
>> AND 700 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED
UP, HUH?
>> IF YOU STOWAWAY, TOM, BEST OF
LUCK TO YOU, BUDDY.
>> I LOVE IT.
>> SEE YOU LATER.
>> WOULD YOU GO?
>> I DONT THINK I WOULD HAVE
THE NERVE OR THE MONEY.
>> WOULD YOU GO?
>> I WOULD IF I HAD THE MONEY.
>> REALLY?
>> YES.
MY WIFE WOULDNT LET ME.
>> SIR RICHARD BRANSON, MY
FATHER-IN-LAW IS IN AN ELEVATOR.
HE LOOKS AT HIM AND GOES, SPACE,
HUH?
RICHARD BRANSON GOES, YEP.