Have you ever wished to travel to space? Virgin Galactic spaceflight is making dreams come true. Come and make history as one of the first citizens to travel to a spacecraft.
Virgin Galactic has announced that it will give away two free seats on an early Virgin Galactic commercial flight. Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Galactic, partnered with the charity fundraising platform Omaze to conduct the sweepstakes.
“It’s an exciting, I think, opportunity for people around the world which has never existed before,” Branson said on stage from Spaceport America, the company’s launch hub in New Mexico.
“Having flown to space, I can see even more clearly how Virgin Galactic is the spaceline for Earth. We are here to make space more accessible to all and turn the next generation of dreamers into the astronauts of today and tomorrow. Imagine a world where people of all ages and backgrounds have equal access to space, and in turn, have the opportunity to lead and inspire us all back here on Earth – this will help make that dream a reality,” Richard Branson said.
The Omaze sweepstakes will support Space for Humanity, a non-profit seeking to democratise space and send citizen astronauts of diverse racial, economic, and disciplinary backgrounds to space.Congratulations to @richardbranson and @virgingalactic for dreaming so big! Now it’s your turn…
You could make history and win two seats on one of the FIRST Virgin Galactic commercial spaceflights!
— Omaze (@omaze) July 11, 2021
Space is for all humanity, which is why we're giving YOU the chance to win 2 seats on one of the first @virgingalactic flights to space! ENTER NOW - all donations go to non-profit @spacehumanity: https://t.co/sjz1KV5f6z @omaze #Unity22 pic.twitter.com/pBzutUPJBl
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) July 12, 2021
How to enter the contest:
Participants can enter the contest on the Omaze.com site.
Click on Enter Now.
The page will ask you to 'Support Space for Humanity today and enter for your chance to win!'. Participants can donate as much as they wish and can also enter the contest without making any donations. "No donation or payment is necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes," the website said.
Enter all your details and click on Submit.
Entries for the contest started on July 11 and the deadline is September 1. As per the website, the winner will be announced around September 29. As per the Omaze website, this experience is estimated to take place in early 2022.
As per eligibility, participants must be at least 18 years old.
What will the participant win?
Winner will receive two seats, one for Winner and one for Winner’s Guest, for a sub-orbital flight aboard Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo, including pre-Sub-Orbital Flight training for Winner and Guest prior to the Sub-Orbital Flight (“Training”), and a tour of Virgin’s Spaceport in Las Cruces, New Mexico prior to the Sub-Orbital Flight; round-trip coach airfare, ground transportation and accommodations for Winner and Guest included in connection with both the Sub-Orbital Flight and the Training.
Omaze’s unique and innovative approach to raising money for charity is challenging traditional giving models.
“Until now, most people could only dream of venturing beyond Earth. Now, we are incredibly excited to team up with Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic, and Space for Humanity to give an everyday citizen – hopefully the first of many – a chance of going to space. Omaze was founded on democratising access to out-of-reach experiences. It’s an honour to advance this ideal to space travel while partnering with an organisation dedicated to democratising space for the better of all humankind,” said Matt Pohlson, CEO and co-founder of Omaze.Eighty percent of the net proceeds raised through the sweepstake supports Space for Humanity. The remaining 20 percent goes to Omaze, a for-profit company.
For people who don’t win the contest can space travel for a price.
As per USA Today, Virgin Galactic plans to resume ticket sales for a 90-minute ride and hopes to launch full-revenue commercial flights in 2022. Approximately 600 reservations have been made for prices peaking at $250,000.