Branson shoots for 2018 space trip as Virgin resumes test flights

Hong Kong

MORE than 2 1/2 years after the fatal breakup of Virgin Galactic's experimental rocket plane, Richard Branson is poised to revive powered test flights as the billionaire entrepreneur targets his first journey into space by the middle of next year.

Following the completion of a series of glide-only sorties, powered tests are set to take place every three weeks with the aim of extending them into space by November or December, Mr Branson said. After his own flight, full commercial passenger operations should start by the end of 2018, he said.