Branson: Virgin Galactic Will Proceed

Editorial Staff

Sunday, November 02, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Virgin Galactic CEO Richard Branson affirmed the space tourism project will continue, with plans to build a new spaceship, learn from the recent crash, and conduct extensive testing.
Branson reiterated his commitment to being the first passenger, emphasizing he wouldn't ask others to fly if he didn't feel it was safe, and reported the injured pilot is recovering well.
Future customers (800+) remain supportive, with new sign-ups occurring even after the fatal crash, as Branson likens the current phase to the necessary, difficult testing stages of early aviation.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Virgin Galactic CEO Richard Branson said Monday his space tourism project will continue and he still plans to be the first passenger.“We will finish building the next spaceship. We will learn from what happened to the first spaceship. We will test it many, many times,” Branson said in an interview with CNN to discuss Friday’s fatal crash. “If I didn’t feel it was safe enough for myself, I would not ask other people to take a flight.” Branson said pilot Peter Siebold, who was injured in Friday’s crash, is “doing remarkably well” and should be released from the hospital soon. “No major injuries that can’t be fixed,” Branson said. NTSB investigative teams remain on site in Mojave and a news conference update is expected later today.

Branson also said the 800 future customers who have placed deposits on future Virgin Galactic flights remain supportive. Two more customers signed up for trips on Friday as a show of support for the effort, he said. “If test pilots hadn’t taken risks, we wouldn’t have the 747,” he said. “We’ve got to go through the difficult testing stage of creating a space line, in order to make it safe.”