Open this photo in gallery Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is due on Sunday to send the company’s

Scottish-born test pilot for the Royal Air Force who went on to fly for Branson’s Virgin Atlantic, and

Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson is aiming to beat fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos into space by

spaceflight-and it involves a special guest: Sir Richard Branson. The Virgin empire mogul was announced

SpaceX's rapid rise to the forefront of the spaceflight industry has been one of the great stories of success.... Led by South African entrepreneur and tech mogul, Elon Musk, the company has cemented itself as a leader in the reusable rocket business.... But a new space race is underway, one that is led by the planet's richest individuals, and many would not want to see SpaceX rest on its laurels. The billionaires' space race came to a head this month when two space tourism companies launched

, July 11, 2021.... Branson became the first person to blast off in his own spaceship, beating Bezos

Getty Images, FILE In this file photo taken on Oct.... 28, 2019, Richard Branson, founder of Virgin

be better. With about 500 people watching, including Branson's family, Unity was carried aloft

Virgin Mogul Richard Branson made history today with his first flight with Virgin Galactic into

engineers tell me that I can go to space, I’m ready, fit and healthy to go, ” Branson told the AP