'Experience of a lifetime': Billionaire Branson achieves space dream

Billionaire Richard Branson makes a statement as crew members Beth Moses and Sirisha Bandla float in zero gravity on board Virgin Galactic's passenger rocket plane VSS Unity after reaching the edge of space above Spaceport America near Truth or Consequences

British billionaire Richard Branson flew into space Sunday aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel, a voyage he described as the ‘experience of a lifetime’ -- and one he hopes will usher in an era of lucrative space tourism. The mission's success allowed the swashbuckling septuagenarian to one-up fellow tycoon Jeff Bezos -- who owns space company Blue Origin and is set to launch on July 20 -- in the race to the final frontier. ‘I have dreamt of this moment since I was a kid, but honestly nothing could prepare you for the view of Earth from space,’ Branson said, grinning during a post-flight ceremony where he and crewmates received their astronaut wings, before popping open the champagne to celebrate. Branson, three fellow passengers and two pilots (all Virgin employees) breached the US-recognized boundary of space, reaching an altitude of 53.5 miles (86 kilometers) and experiencing weightlessness for a few minutes aboard the VSS Unity.