Will fly to space by July, says Branson

Washington: British billionaire Richard Branson plans to travel to space within the next four or five months aboard his own Virgin Galactic spaceship, he said on Friday. “My wish is to go up on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, that’s what we’re working on,” the head of the Virgin group said on the sidelines of an event to honor Virgin Galactic at the Air and Space Museum in Washington. The American Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. Virgin Galactic is one of two companies, along with Blue Origin, on its way to sending passengers into space, though just barely for a few minutes.