Stephen Hawking wants in on the new Virgin Galactic passenger spaceship. No, he doesn’t want to invest in Richard Branson’s endeavor. He wants to ride on it instead.
Helping unveil the new Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo, Stephen Hawking said the world is “entering a new space age.” The new spaceship was unveiled just a year following a midair crash, in which a pilot was killed.
Virgin Galactic unveil spaceplane that will fly tourists into space https://t.co/r1UeOmnNOs pic.twitter.com/HA2gb146gj
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) February 20, 2016
Stephen Hawking, a world-renown astrophysicist who suffers from ALS, confirmed he wants to take flight in the new spaceship.
“A man with the vision and persistence to open up space flight for ordinary, earth-bound citizens, Richard Branson made it his mission to make space flight a reality for those intrepid enough to venture beyond the boundaries of the earth’s atmosphere,” Hawking said.
“I have had ALS for over 50 years now and, while I have no fear of adventure, others do not always take the same view. If I am able to go – and if Richard will still take me, I would be very proud to fly on this spaceship,” he added.
“Space exploration has already been a great unifier–we seem able to cooperate between nations in space in a way we can only envy on earth. We are entering a new space age and I hope this will help to create a new unity,” he concluded.
Four generations of Richard Branson’s family attended the unveiling. Stephen Hawkin named the new spaceship.
Virgin Galactic unveils new #SpaceShipTwo, dubbed VSS Unity by Stephen Hawking https://t.co/w1tAbTutS7 pic.twitter.com/EiFsa5Zzau
— KTLA (@KTLA) February 20, 2016
How amazing would it be for Stephen Hawking to ride on the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo?
Not only would it enrich his life, it would inspire others to shoot for the stars as well.