Richard Branson is on a mission to make outer space a place for the people. The Virgin Group founder made strides towards that goal with his recent first trip to and from outer space. Using a rocket-powered plane from his company, Virgin Galactic, Branson left Earth and returned safely all within the matter of an hour-plus.
Not only is Richard Branson the first billionaire to make a round trip to outer space using his own funded spacecraft, but he's also partnered up with Omaze and Humanity For Space so people can win the same expedition he experienced. Through Branson's partnership with Omaze, a charity fundraising site, and Humanity For Space, a non-profit organization that shares Branson's goal of democratizing space, people who donate will have the chance to win two seats to their own space travel mission.
"Welcome to the dawn of a new space age," Branson said after he climbed off a Virgin Galactic aircraft. "We're here to make space more accessible to all. We want to turn the next generation of dreamers into the astronauts of today and tomorrow. We've all us on this stage have had the most extraordinary experience, and we'd love it if a number of you can have it, too," he said. "If you ever had a dream, now is the time to make it come true. I'd like to end by saying welcome to the dawn of a new space age."