Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson flying own rocket to space

Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson is poised to blast off aboard his own rocket ship in his boldest, grandest adventure yet

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. -- After a lifetime of yearning to fly in space, Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson was poised to blast off aboard his own winged rocket ship Sunday in his boldest adventure yet. The thrill-seeking billionaire joined five company employees also assigned to the bid to reach the edge of space high above the New Mexico desert. “It's a beautiful day to go to space,” Branson tweeted in the morning, posting a photo of himself with fellow billionaire and space-tourism rival Elon Musk. Ever the showman, Branson counted down the days to liftoff via Twitter. He viewed the brief up-and-down trip as a confidence builder in his space-tourism company — not only for the 600-plus people already holding reservations for a joyride but for others thinking of plunking down a few hundred thousand dollars for a chance to leave Earth's atmosphere.