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Sir Richard Branson takes off on space flight

UK businessman Sir Richard Branson's journey to the edge of space has begun from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Read more: Branson takes off on 'extraordinary' space flight

11 July 2021

Richard Branson

Virgin Galactic

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Virgin Galactic flies through space

Space traveller waited 18 years to go into orbit

Birmingham & Black Country

Jon Goodwin floating

I'll never be the same - space tourist

Stoke & Staffordshire

Anastatia on board Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity

Aberdeen student 'starstruck' after going to space

VSS Unity in space

On board Virgin Galactic's tourist journey to space

Jon Goodwin gives a thumbs up after completing G-force training before his flight

Jon Goodwin: I thought Parkinson's was end of space dream

Passengers onboard Virgin Galactic first space tourism flight

Watch: Space passengers unbuckle and explore zero-gravity

Astronaut

Virgin space plane takes off with first customers

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Unity

Virgin Galactic rocket plane blasts skyward

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Richard Branson

Branson on 'painful' media coverage during pandemic

The first orbital space rocket launch from European soil is due to take place on Monday evening.

Exclusive look inside Virgin Orbit's rocket launcher

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Virgin Galactic's Unity rocket plane

Branson's journey to the edge of space (and back)

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Watch the moment Sir Richard Branson's rocket plane reached its highest altitude.

'Today space is Virgin territory'

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David Mackay

Scots space pilot's 'awe-inspiring' view of Earth

Beth Moses

'No camera can capture the magic'

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Unity

Virgin rocket plane soars to edge of space

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Sir Richard Branson's rocket company Virgin Orbit has succeeded in putting its first satellites in space.

Branson: Satellite launch 'picture perfect success'

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Launch

Branson's Virgin Orbit rocket in launch success

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Line of people standing in front of lava flow

Watch: Tourists warned to stay away from Mount Etna lava

Italian authorities say people have been injured after venturing too close to the red-hot lava.

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BBC weather presenter Ben Rich stands in front of a weather graphic

Forecast: More stormy weather ahead as Herminia approaches

BBC weather presenter Ben Rich has the latest update as a new storm approaches the UK.

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Weather forecaster Matt Taylor stands in front of a virtual map showing the red weather warnings in place across parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland

Watch: Latest forecast as Storm Éowyn causes red weather warning

Red warnings have been issued for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland on Friday.

Science & Environment

Split screen of rocket booster landing back at launch tower and rocket debris falling from sky

Watch: SpaceX loses Starship on test flight

Watch: SpaceX loses Starship spacecraft but catches booster on seventh test flight

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Smoke and flames in the background as a rocket prepares to launch into orbit

Lift-off for Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket

The mission was partially successful after the booster that propelled the rocket into space failed to land on a platform in the ocean.

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Skiers smile as they stand on the National Mall in Washington DC.

Major snowstorm covers beaches and brings skiers out in DC

Storm Blair has brought freezing temperatures across the East Coast and Midwest US.

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Nicky Schiller wearing a blue winter coat and blue gloves standing in a snow-covered wooded area in Leeds.

BBC reports from snowy Leeds amid weather warnings

Amber weather warnings are in force and travel disruption is expected in some parts of the UK, as snow continues to fall.

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Space crew on ISS

Watch: ISS crew sends Christmas greetings from space

Astronauts on the International Space Station send a festive message from orbit, some 250 miles (400km) above Earth.

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Elizabeth Rizzini

Weather forecast as Storm Darragh brings wind and rain

Elizabeth Rizzini has the latest forecast as Storm Darragh eases but continues to bring strong winds.

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A huge wave hits a sea wall in Wales

Downed trees and wild seas as Storm Darragh hits UK

A van driver has been killed by a fallen tree, as Storm Darragh brings strong winds and heavy rain.

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Tree on road after being blown over in high winds

High winds cause 'absolute carnage' in town

Roads are closed, trees are uprooted and buildings are damaged amid reports of a tornado on Thursday.

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Ben Rick in front of weather graphic

Latest forecast as Storm Bert brings floods and gales

BBC Weather's Ben Rich has the latest forecast as the storm continues to bring challenging weather conditions across the UK.

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BBC Scotland's Judith Ralston says there is also a weather warning as high winds are expected to hit the Western Isles and the north-west

Storm Bert brings rain and high winds on Sunday

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning until 07:00 on Sunday for some parts of Scotland

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With some travel disruption, children and dogs have been enjoying the cold weather

Watch: Scotland under a blanket of snow from Storm Bert

Children and dogs have been enjoying the cold weather despite the freezing conditions.

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People in high-vis jackets walk next to a car submerged in floods on the left of a split screen with a snowy road on the right

Atmospheric river dumps snow and record rain on California

The weather event has multiplied damages from the 'bomb cyclone' seen in the US north-west earlier this week.

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A man walks in front of an uprooted tree, the roots of which tower over him

Fallen trees cause widespread damage after bomb cyclone

Two people died in the storm that hit the West coast of the US and Canada overnight.

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A yellow alert for high winds gusting up to 60 mph (97km/h) covers the whole of Scotland

Weather forecast ahead of Storm Ashley

A yellow alert for high winds gusting up to 60 mph (97km/h) covers the whole of Scotland.

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The Hunter's supermoon is seen shining brightly between two buildings, as the moon shines through London's skyline on 17 OCtober

Stargazers around the world catch supermoon

The brightness of the moon would allow ancient communities to increase hunting at this time of year - hence the name.

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SpaceX's Super Heavy booster fires out of its exhaust at the bottom of the rocket itself while it lands into the rocket launcher holder that it fired out of, during SpaceX Starship's fifth flight test, in Boca Chica, Texas, U.S., October 13, 2024

Watch: Why is the latest SpaceX rocket test a big deal?

The BBC's Pallab Ghosh explores why this world first test is a big deal for space exploration.

Science & Environment

SpaceX Starship booster caught in mid air

Watch astonishing moment Starship booster caught in mid-air 'chopsticks manoeuvre'

It’s the first time the "chopsticks manoeuvre" has been attempted, with previous boosters landing in the ocean.

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