RICHARD BRANSON

Virgin Orbit says its first attempt to launch satellites into orbit from the U.K. failed after its rocket’s upper stage prematurely shut down.

British officials and space scientists say they are disappointed but not deterred after the first attempt to launch satellites into orbit from the U.K. ended in failure.

LONDON — (AP) — A modified jumbo jet carried a Virgin Orbit rocket from the U.K. and released it into space from the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, marking the first attempt to launch satellites into orbit from Western Europe. The mission, which saw the rocket taking nine small satellites for mixed civil and defense use into orbit, was the first international launch for Virgin Orbit, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson. “This is the start of a new era for the U.K. in terms of launch capabilities," said Ian Annett, deputy chief executive at the U.K. Space Agency. In the past, satellites produced in the U.K. had to be sent to spaceports in other countries to make their journey into space. The mission is a collaboration between the U.K. Space Agency, the Royal Air Force, Virgin Orbit and Cornwall Council.

LONDON — (AP) — A modified jumbo jet carrying a Virgin Orbit rocket took off from southwestern England Monday, marking the first attempt to launch satellites into orbit from Western Europe. The rocket will then take nine small satellites for mixed civil and defense use into orbit, while the plane, piloted by a Royal Air Force pilot, returns to Cornwall. If successful, the mission will mark the first international launch for Virgin Orbit, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson. “This is the start of a new era for the U.K. in terms of launch capabilities," said Ian Annett, deputy chief executive at the U.K. Space Agency. The mission is a collaboration between the U.K. Space Agency, the Royal Air Force, Virgin Orbit and Cornwall Council.

A satellite is being launched from the United Kingdom on Jan. 9, 2023. Final preparations are being made by Virgin Orbit before the launch.

LONDON — (AP) — Engineers are making final preparations for the first satellite launch from the U.K. later Monday, when a repurposed passenger plane is expected to release a Virgin Orbit rocket carrying several small satellites into space. If successful, the mission will mark the first orbital space launch from U.K. soil and the first international launch for Virgin Orbit, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson. The rocket will then take several small satellites for mixed civil and defense use into orbit, while the plane returns to Cornwall. It will be the first commercial satellite launch from Western Europe, Virgin Orbit said. In the past, satellites produced in the U.K. had to be sent to spaceports in other countries to make their journey into space.

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 | The 'Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas' airs on NBC

Space tourism company Virgin Galactic may be sued by shareholders, a media report suggests, while Virgin Orbit is bleeding cash ahead of its first launch from the U.K.

Virgin Orbit announced that Richard Branson's Virgin Group, an existing shareholder, made an additional $25 million investment on Nov. 4

The world’s first space tourist has signed up to spin around the moon aboard Elon Musk’s Starship.

Toronto-based TransPod says FluxJet is "a hybrid between an aircraft and a train" that would be faster and cheaper to travel between cities than an airplane.

A 22-year drought, fires and hotter summers from climate change are threatening Yosemite National Park's landscape.

Lightyear, a stock trading app based in the U.K., has raised $25 million in fresh funding to expand its presence across Europe.

LOS ANGELES — (AP) — A Virgin Orbit rocket carrying U.S. Defense Department satellites was launched from a special Boeing 747 flying off the Southern California coast and streaked toward space Friday night. It was Virgin Orbit's fourth commercial launch and first night launch. Virgin Orbit named the mission “Straight Up” after the hit on Paula Abdul's debut studio album “Forever Your Girl,” which was released through Virgin Records in 1988. Virgin Orbit was founded in 2017 by British billionaire Richard Branson. Later this year, the company will launch two satellites on a mission flying out of Newquay Airport in Cornwall, England.

A 26-year-old electrical and hardware engineer will become the first Mexican-born woman in space when she joins a diverse international crew for a 10-minute flight launched by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

Aspiring space tourists will need to wait a little longer before soaring into suborbital space with Virgin Galactic.

A look at the long history of speed limits — plus the fuel economy of newer cars — suggests that Richard Branson’s call for drivers to slow down won’t save gas.

Richard Branson has called on individuals and governments to cut their energy consumption in a bid to reduce reliance on Russian and bring an end to the war.

Sir Richard Branson, less than a year after reaching space with Virgin Galactic, hopes to next trade flights with Elon Musk and fly with SpaceX.

Virgin Galactic announced on Friday that chairman Chamath Palihapitiya is stepping down from the space tourism company's board of directors.

Starting Wednesday (Feb. 16), aspiring space tourists can once again book a trip to the final frontier with Virgin Galactic.

Space tourism company Virgin Galactic announced Tuesday that it will open ticket sales to the public on Wednesday, requiring a $150,000 deposit.

The company later confirmed that all of the satellites were successfully deployed into the proper orbit. “Another fantastic day for the Virgin Orbit team, and a big step forward for our customers,” the company tweeted. It was Virgin Orbit's third launch carrying satellites for customers. Two previous launches carried multiple satellites into orbit in January and June 2021. Virgin Orbit, founded in 2017 by British billionaire Richard Branson, went public last month.

Shares of Virgin Galactic fell in trading on Thursday after the company announced plans to raise up to $500 million in debt.

The World Economic Forum says cyberthreats and the growing space race are emerging risks to the global economy, on top of existing challenges posed by climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.

Another kind of countdown hit New York City's Times Square Friday (Jan. 7) as a commercial spaceflight company celebrated joining the NASDAQ stock exchange.

Richard Branson's satellite-launching company Virgin Orbit brought a rocket to show off in New York City on Friday, as it celebrated going public.

Billionaire Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, has been diagnosed with COVID-19. >> Read more trending newsIn a post on Twitter, Branson described his sickness as “mild,” adding he was fully vaccinated and encouraged others to get vaccinated and boosted as well. He said, “Can’t stress enough – if you’re eligible and in a country that offers boosters, get your booster now.” While Branson said he caught the omicron variant, he credited his vaccine for keeping his symptoms mild. Thankfully, I’m fully vaccinated & boosted (urge everyone – where available – to do the same) and feeling fine. — Richard Branson (@richardbranson) January 6, 2022The COVID-19 infection prevented Branson from being with the rest of the Virgin Orbit team to ring the bell at Nasdaq Friday, Bloomberg reported.

Shares of space tourism company Virgin Galactic fell below the level the stock debuted at more than two years ago.

The year in space wrapped up with the Christmas day launch of the most expensive and powerful space telescope ever.

We might not be able to claim that 2021 was *the* wildest year in recent history (2020 will likely get that credit for quite some time), but it might be a close second.

From suborbital space to high Earth orbit, space tourism is just getting started.

Virgin Atlantic has received 400 million pounds ($530 million) of new funding from its shareholders to help the airline ride out the coronavirus pandemic.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it will no longer give out commercial astronaut wings starting next year because too many people are launching into space.

You don't have to be a billionaire to enjoy space. Here are ways to do so inexpensively.

Many of 2021's most notable moments were captured by TV, shaping and upending our expectations.

Singapore’s top court will decide Tuesday on the fate of a Malaysian man on death row who is believed to be mentally disabled.

Keisha S., a health and energy coach from the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, just won a free trip to suborbital space with Virgin Galactic.

About 100 people have bought a ticket to ride to suborbital space since Virgin Galactic reopened sales in August, at $450,000 apiece.

2021 has been a whirlwind for private space tourism, with this week especially crucial for the ventures founded by Jeff Bezos and Sir Richard Branson.

Prince William has criticized some of the world’s richest men for using their wealth to fund a new space race and space tourism, and called on the world's great minds to fix the planet first.

Private Spaceflight This undated photo made available by Blue Origin in October 2021 shows, from left, Chris Boshuizen, William Shatner, Audrey Powers and Glen de Vries. (Blue Origin via AP) (Uncredited)VAN HORN, Texas — (AP) — Actor William Shatner counted down Wednesday to his wildest role yet: riding a rocket into space, courtesy of “Star Trek” fan Jeff Bezos. Bezos’ space travel company, Blue Origin, invited Shatner on the brief jaunt to the fringes of the final frontier, which will make him the oldest person in space. Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson kicked off the U.S.-based space tourism boom on July 11, riding his own rocketship to space. How extraordinary it is to be part of that beginning,” Shatner said in a Blue Origin video posted on the eve of his flight.

Hollywood’s Captain Kirk, 90-year-old William Shatner, has blasted into space and safely returned to Earth in a convergence of science fiction and science reality.

The performer who breathed life into Captain James T.

It stars Owen Wilson as a cowboy-hatted Jeff Bezos.

At 90 years old, the 'Star Trek' actor will be the oldest person to fly to space.

The 90-year-old actor will be the oldest to fly in space when he joins three crewmates aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft

A group of more than 20 current and former employees are accusing Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin of being a toxic work environment and not following proper safety protocols.

The Federal Aviation Administration has wrapped up its six-week inquiry into the July 11 test flight of Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane.

The company said it expects to open its flight window for the next test flight by mid-October.

LOS ANGELES — (AP) — Virgin Galactic said Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration has cleared it to resume launches after an investigation into why its spaceship veered off course while descending during a July flight with founder Richard Branson aboard. The company said it was advised by the FAA that corrective actions proposed by Virgin Galactic have been accepted. Virgin Galactic said it will incorporate additional steps in its flight procedures to ensure real-time mission notifications to FAA air traffic control. During the July 11 incident, the rocketship carrying Branson and five Virgin Galactic employees deviated outside the air traffic control clearance area during descent to a runway in New Mexico. Virgin Galactic has said high-altitude wind caused the change in flight path and insisted the two pilots responded appropriately.

Virgin Galactic says the Federal Aviation Administration has cleared it to resume launches after an investigation into why its spaceship veered off course while descending during a July flight over New Mexico with founder Richard Branson aboard.

The FAA cleared Virgin Galactic to return to flight on Wednesday after completing a mishap investigation into the spaceflight that carried Sir Richard Branson.

Virgin Voyages, set for its first U.S. sailing Oct. 6, is attempting to build a narrative that its ships will be cooler and edgier.

Disney Plus launches “Among The Stars,” a new NASA documentary series offering a revealing look at a vital mission to the International Space Station

United Nations General Assembly United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, at United Nations headquarters in New York. ( Eduardo Munoz/Pool Photo via AP)/Pool Photo via AP) (EDUARDO MUNOZ)Space, we have an equity problem. When three billionaires rocketed into space this summer, they did more than escape Earth’s surly bonds, they helped spread “a malady of mistrust” plaguing an all-too hungry world, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told other world leaders Tuesday. Both bank on space tourism business from their fellow space fans with big wallets. His flight was on a Dragon capsule and Space X rocket built by a fourth space-obsessed billionaire, Elon Musk.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is a no-go for launching billionaires into space.

.SpaceX’s first private flight has streaked into orbit with two contest winners, a health care worker and their rich sponsor. It was the first time a spacecraft circled Earth with an all-amateur crew and no professional astronauts. SpaceX’s recycled rocket soared Wednesday night from the same Kennedy Space Center pad used by the company’s three previous astronaut flights for NASA. But this time, the Dragon capsule aimed for an unusually high orbit, 100 miles higher than the International...

Khosla Ventures, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm founded by Vinod Khosla, made multiple early bets on Rocket Lab that are paying off enormously.

The U.S. is in a familiar spot as it takes the global lead for most daily coronavirus cases, recording more than a million cases this week. And with millions traveling for the Labor Day weekend, the numbers are expected to increase. Lilia Luciano has more.

Regulators say rocketship carrying British billionaire and others in a July flight veered off course on its descent.

The FAA said the rocketship carrying Branson and five Virgin Galactic employees veered off course during its descent back to New Mexico on July 11.

Unity 23 will carry Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei and Lt. Col. Angelo Landolfi, as well as aerospace engineer Pantaleone Carlucci, a scientist with the Italian National Research Council.

The ban came as Virgin Galactic announced plans to launch three Italian researchers to the edge of space in a few weeks. The FAA said the rocketship carrying Branson and five Virgin Galactic employees veered off course during its descent back to New Mexico on July 11. Virgin Galactic insisted Thursday that Branson and everyone else on board were never in any added danger. Virgin Galactic acknowledged the space plane dropped below the protected airspace for one minute and 41 seconds. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are vying to sell seats to tourists, scientists and anyone else looking to experience a few minutes of weightlessness.

The FAA grounded Virgin Galactic on Thursday, as the federal regulator investigates the company's previous spaceflight that carried founder Sir Richard Branson.

Virgin Galactic FILE - In this Sunday, July 11, 2021 file photo, the craft carrying Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson and other crew members takes off from Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences, N.M. Virgin Galactic plans to launch three Italian researchers to the edge of space in a few weeks, even as its previous flight with founder Richard Branson is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton) (Andres Leighton)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — (AP) — Virgin Galactic plans to launch three Italian researchers to the edge of space in a few weeks, even as its previous flight with founder Richard Branson is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA said Thursday that the rocketship carrying Branson and five Virgin Galactic employees veered off course during its descent back to New Mexico on July 11. Virgin Galactic acknowledged the space plane dropped below the protected airspace for one minute and 41 seconds. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are vying to sell seats to tourists, scientists and anyone else looking to experience a few minutes of weightlessness.

The Federal Aviation Administration says Virgin Galactic can't launch anyone into space again until an investigation is complete into founder Richard Branson's off-course flight in July.

When Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson became the first billionaire to fly to space with his own company on July 11, he may have also come close to becoming the first billionaire to crash during a spaceflight.

A blue-green algae bloom alert was issued for Lake Willisara.

Senate Democrats from across the party's political spectrum seem near the unanimity they’ll need for the crucial first step toward their $3.5 trillion infrastructure vision.

Virgin Galactic is selling tickets for space flights again, just weeks after founder Richard Branson rode a rocket-powered plane to more than 50 miles above the Earth.

Virgin Galactic is riding the publicity wave from its most recent flight sending Billionaire Richard Branson to space.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he’s excited to see Jeff Bezos’ blast-off into space Tuesday.

Jeff Bezos has made it into space, riding his own company's rocket.

When Blue Origin launches people into space for the first time, founder Jeff Bezos will be on board.

An 18-year-old will become Blue Origin’s first paying customer to fly to space, making him the youngest to go to space, the company announced Thursday.

An 18-year-old from the Netherlands is about to become the youngest person in space.

Jeff Bezos' rocket company has gotten federal approval to launch people into space, himself included.

Virgin Galactic has made its highest profile test flight to date with boss Richard Branson aboard.

A precautionary boil water notice was issued in Marion County on Monday.

Deputies are looking for a man who entered a home and exposed himself to a person who was inside, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

A man is accused of robbing a MetroPCS in Deland with a machete on July 6, police say they need help from the public to identify him.

Students headed back to school in less than a month have several items on the health checklist to consider this summer.

Manatees have been dying at alarming rates since the beginning of 2021.

While tourism tax dollar collections have not fully rebounded in Orange County, officials say there are signs of hope.

Video from Virgin Galactic shows Richard Branson and his fellow crew members looking down on Earth and floating in the SpaceShipTwo cabin.

A blue-green algae bloom alert was issued for Lake Rowena after a second positive test in a 34-day time span.

Virgin Galactic's shares have turned sharply lower after the spaceflight company said it’s made arrangements to sell up to $500 million in stock.

Increasing rain is on the way.

Orange County Fire Rescue crews are helping a worker stuck in the bucket of a boom lift.

The Seminole County government opened a new application portal Monday to provide emergency mortgage payment assistance to residents.

Small cities and counties in Florida are about to get some extra funding from the state.

General Motors is recalling more than 400,000 trucks over an airbag issue.

News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions and shares tips about the rules of the road, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.

The first payments in the Biden administration's enhanced child tax credits are due to start rolling out this week.

Thrill-seeking billionaire Richard Branson has reached space aboard his own winged rocket ship, bringing astro-tourism a step closer to reality.

Virgin Galactic is about to become the first rocket company to launch the boss to space.

Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson's companies both will take tourists to the edge of space.

Two billionaires are putting everything on the line to ride their own rockets into space.

Two billionaires plan to both take their first spaceflights within days of eachother.