Richard Branson to beat Jeff Bezos into space by nine days

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson announced he would shoot off into space on the company's next test flight on 11 July.

Branson aims to beat his competitor and founder of Blue Origin Jeff Bezos by nine days. Bezos is set to fly into space on 20 July.

He will be among the six passengers on board the flight ‘Unity 22’. All other passengers are company employees. It will be only the fourth trip to space for Virgin Galactic.

Branson said he was “honoured” to be able to help “ensure his business delivers a unique customer experience”.

“I truly believe that space belongs to all of us,” he said.

“I’ve always been a dreamer. My mum taught me to never give up and to reach for the stars. On July 11, it’s time to turn that dream into a reality aboard the next @VirginGalactic,” he said via Twitter.

The main objectives of the next test flight will be “evaluating … seat comfort, the weightless experience and the views of Earth” in the space cabin, Virgin Galactic said.

Michael Colglazier, chief executive officer of Virgin Galactic, said: “Our next flight – the 22nd flight test for VSS Unity and our first fully crewed flight test – is a testament to the dedication and technical brilliance of our entire team, and I’d like to extend a special thank you to our pilots and mission specialists, each of whom will be performing important work.”

The news came just hours after Bezos’ Blue Origin said Bezos would be accompanied into space on 20 July by Wally Funk, a female aerospace pioneer