Waiting For Richard Branson's Space Tour Moment

Richard Branson poses with a Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engine with bio-fuel during an interview in New York, United States, Monday (3/3/2008). (ANTARA/REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/am.)

JAKARTA - As previously scheduled, Sunday 11 July will be a special and historic day for the world of space aviation.

On that date, Billionaire Richard Branson will fly into space with two pilots and three other passengers, from Spaceport America near the city of Truth.

Branson will be the first wealthy person to travel to space aboard the space shuttle he built, Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity.

In this mission, the billionaire is in charge of evaluating the personal experience of astronauts. Branson's observations, according to information from Virgin Galactic, are useful for adding to the astronaut's travel experience in the future.

VSS Unity will be carried on a VMS Eve jet rocket, named after Branson's mother, to an altitude of 50,000 feet. VSS Unity will be launched on a rocket almost vertically out of Earth's atmosphere.

At 89 kilometers above the New Mexico desert, the crew will feel weightless before returning to earth again. This flight, if it goes according to plan, is 90 minutes long and will return to where they are in the sky, at Spaceport America near the town of Truth or Consequences.

Adventurer's Soul Richard Branson

Richard Branson, 70, is known as a billionaire who loves adventure, including in extreme ways.

In 1986, he broke the record for crossing the Atlantic Ocean by speedboat. He attempted this trip the previous year, however, had to be rescued by an Air Force helicopter because his ship capsized.

The following year, 1987, he returned across the Atlantic Ocean, however, in a hot air balloon. Branson again had to be rescued on the journey.

He had at least two more attempts to fly a hot air balloon around the world but failed.

Branson said he was happy and not afraid for this trip to space. "I don't think there's anything to be afraid of," Branson said.

Billionaires are vying to travel to space, with Branson, Jeff Bezos planning to fly on Blue Origin's New Shepard as well this month and SpaceX, without Elon Musk, in September.

Branson denied they were competing to go into space.

"To be honest it's not a race. If it's a race, it's a race to make an amazing space shuttle that can take more people into space. I think that's our goal," said Branson.