Richard Branson and Sirisha Bandla are expressing what it was like to be in outer space.In an exclusive clip from Thursday’s episode ofNBC Nightly News: Kids Edition, anchor Lester Holt introduces a question from a child in New Jersey, who asks Virgin Galactic billionaire Branson, 70, and Bandla about their recent launch into space together. “What is it like being in zero gravity?” she asks.“Oh man, it’s incredible,” says Bandla, 34. “It feels like I’m flying, and it’s very silent and I just see the blackness of space and the bright-blue Earth below me. It is just incredible. It feels like I’m flying.“Adds Branson, “My favorite character as a kid was Peter Pan, and I’ve always wanted just to be able to lift off and fly, and that’s exactly what we did: just unbuckled our seats and we just floated up into the air and literally just floated around the cabin looking back at this beautiful Earth we all live on. It was magnificent, and that’s why we’re so determined that many of you one day will have a chance.“Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.Virgin GalacticBranson fulfilled hislong-awaited dream of going to spaceon July 11 when he and five crew members (including Bandla) strapped themselves into the VSS Unity. The rocket-powered spaceplane was attached to the VMS Eve, a dual fuselage carrier aircraft named after Branson’s “courageous” mother, who died of COVID in January.The mission, which the company named “Unity 22,” lasted about an hour in total before the crew touched down in New Mexico’s desert.Virgin Galactic aims to begin taking private citizens to space in 2022, and Branson hopes his trip inspires young people to learn more about the stars. On Sunday, the company announced a partnership withOmazeto raffle off two seats aboard one of its first commercial flights.Virgin GalacticRELATED VIDEO: Richard Branson Says Completing Lifelong Goal of Visiting Space Felt Like ‘a Dream’Bransonrecently told PEOPLE that he became interestedin space began while watching astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins fly to the moon in July 1969. A year later, hefounded Virgin as a mail-order record retailer.“The trip to the moon was for our generation, and these trips are meant to inspire young people and future generations,” he said. “To give young people the realization that they really may be able to go into space.“The new installment ofNBC Nightly News: Kids Edition— which just celebrated its 100th episode — will be available to stream today at 4 p.m. ET onNBCNews.com, NBC News Apps, theNBC News YouTube channeland Peacock.
Richard Branson and Sirisha Bandla are expressing what it was like to be in outer space.
In an exclusive clip from Thursday’s episode ofNBC Nightly News: Kids Edition, anchor Lester Holt introduces a question from a child in New Jersey, who asks Virgin Galactic billionaire Branson, 70, and Bandla about their recent launch into space together. “What is it like being in zero gravity?” she asks.
“Oh man, it’s incredible,” says Bandla, 34. “It feels like I’m flying, and it’s very silent and I just see the blackness of space and the bright-blue Earth below me. It is just incredible. It feels like I’m flying.”
Adds Branson, “My favorite character as a kid was Peter Pan, and I’ve always wanted just to be able to lift off and fly, and that’s exactly what we did: just unbuckled our seats and we just floated up into the air and literally just floated around the cabin looking back at this beautiful Earth we all live on. It was magnificent, and that’s why we’re so determined that many of you one day will have a chance.”
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
Virgin Galactic
Branson fulfilled hislong-awaited dream of going to spaceon July 11 when he and five crew members (including Bandla) strapped themselves into the VSS Unity. The rocket-powered spaceplane was attached to the VMS Eve, a dual fuselage carrier aircraft named after Branson’s “courageous” mother, who died of COVID in January.
The mission, which the company named “Unity 22,” lasted about an hour in total before the crew touched down in New Mexico’s desert.
Virgin Galactic aims to begin taking private citizens to space in 2022, and Branson hopes his trip inspires young people to learn more about the stars. On Sunday, the company announced a partnership withOmazeto raffle off two seats aboard one of its first commercial flights.
RELATED VIDEO: Richard Branson Says Completing Lifelong Goal of Visiting Space Felt Like ‘a Dream’
Bransonrecently told PEOPLE that he became interestedin space began while watching astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins fly to the moon in July 1969. A year later, hefounded Virgin as a mail-order record retailer.
“The trip to the moon was for our generation, and these trips are meant to inspire young people and future generations,” he said. “To give young people the realization that they really may be able to go into space.”
The new installment ofNBC Nightly News: Kids Edition— which just celebrated its 100th episode — will be available to stream today at 4 p.m. ET onNBCNews.com, NBC News Apps, theNBC News YouTube channeland Peacock.
source: people.com
