Virgin Galactic to build Abu Dhabi's first regional spaceport

According to George Whiteside, Virgin Galactic’s chief executive officer, the company intends to build the first spaceport in the UAE’s capital, with the help of which the time taken to fly from the UAE to the United States and vice versa can be reduced from several tens of hours to one hour. “In accordance with the contract that was signed between the two companies in 2009, Abu Dhabi will receive the exclusive right in the region to ensure that in the territory of this emirate, subject to the issuance of relevant permits, Virgin Galactic built the first regional spaceport, and also launched to develop comic tourism and conduct scientific space flights, "said Whites." Perhaps in the near future we will witness how the next generation of our spacecraft will easily fly from Abu Dhabi to New Mexico ... h and one hour. It will be the first pair of cities that brings together two remote continents for the benefit of all. "

Recall that Virgin Galactic is a subsidiary of the Virgin Group, owned by well-known British businessman Richard Branson. As reported in February 2012, Virgin Galactic plans to launch test flights of its first spacecraft beyond the Earth’s atmosphere by the end of this year. If they pass normally, then commercial tourist space flights will begin to be carried out in 2013 or 2014. The Virgin Group management has already appointed the head of Virgin Galactic, who will be responsible for the construction of the space center in the UAE capital. Ultimately, this spaceport will become the second base of the existing American spaceport Spaceport America, located, as already mentioned, in the state of New Mexico.