Space Tourism on Its Way, with Sky-High Prices
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12 | Monday, July 12, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY WORLD China backs Space tourism UN Syria on its way, with resolution By MINLU ZHANG in New York [email protected] The United Nations Security sky-high prices Council has adopted a draft resolu- tion on the mandate renewal of cross-border mechanism in Syria. Wealthy entrepreneurs vie to get The council adopted Resolution a new business off the launchpad 2585 on Friday, allowing cross-bor- der aid into Syria from Turkey to run for another 12 months. Zhang Jun, By BELINDA ROBINSON China’s permanent representative in New York to the UN, explained China’s vote. [email protected] Zhang said China attaches great importance to the humanitarian sit- The billionaires Richard Bran- uation in Syria, and supports the son, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are Volunteers disinfect each other after bringing the body of a coronavirus victim to a cemetery in Hlegu international community and UN set to kick start commercial space township in Yangon, Myanmar, on Saturday. YE AUNG THU / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE agencies in increasing humanitarian travel for ordinary people, but the assistance to the Syrian people in line adventure won’t be cheap. Jeff Bezos (left) and Richard with the guiding principles of emer- British Virgin Galactic founder Branson gency humanitarian assistance. Branson, 70, announced early this SE Asia tightens measures in virus surge For a long time, China has provid- month that he would voyage into and change the world for good.” ed various kinds of assistance to Syr- space. Last month Branson moved one ia through bilateral and multilateral On Sunday morning, Branson step closer to being able to offer BANGKOK — Several countries try, where people remain largely averages of daily cases and deaths channels in terms of food, medicine, prepared to climb into his Virgin commercial flights when the Fed- around Asia and the Pacific experi- unvaccinated. both more than doubled over the education, public service among Galactic passenger rocket plane eral Aviation Administration encing their first major surges of As of Friday, the CCSA said less past two weeks. others, and has played a positive role and soar more than 80 kilometers updated Virgin Galactic’s com- the coronavirus rushed to impose than 5 percent of the country’s Health experts said a partial in improving the humanitarian situ- above the New Mexico desert in the mercial space transportation tough restrictions, a year and a half nearly 70 million people had been lockdown imposed on July 3 was ation on the ground. VSS Unity rocket plane’s first fully operator license to allow it to fly into a pandemic that many initially fully inoculated. too little too late and warned that Zhang stressed that all humanitar- crewed test flight to the edge of customers into space. Virgin weathered well. the current wave, which is mostly ian assistance in Syria should be space. Galactic had held the operator’s Faced with rapidly rising numbers New curbs imposed in the islands of Java and Bali, and premised on the full respect of Syria’s The white space plane was due to license since 2016 but was allowed of infections in recent months, In an effort to curtail the spread of a few cities in the island of Suma- sovereignty and territorial integrity. be borne aloft at around 10:30 am to run test flights only. authorities in countries such as Thai- the virus, the government on Friday tra, will soon start to spread across Cross-border humanitarian deliv- local time. land announced or imposed meas- announced new curbs in hard-hit the vast archipelago. The country’s ery is a special arrangement made Branson, two company pilots Closer to reality ures recently in the hope of slowing regions, including Bangkok and five healthcare system is already buck- under specific circumstances, and it and three Virgin Galactic crew Though space tourism is getting down the spread before healthcare nearby provinces. ling under the pressure. should be “subjected to timely assess- mates were to be launched from closer to reality, anyone interested systems become overwhelmed. The measures, including a curfew, In Myanmar, the Health Ministry ment and necessary adjustment as to Spaceport America in New Mexico in taking such a trip will need to Thailand reported a new daily ban on gatherings of more than five on Saturday reported a record 4,377 its efficacy and applicability in light on what was expected to be at least have quite a bit of cash on hand. record of 91 deaths on Saturday, tak- people and nonessential travel, as new cases for a total of 188,752, as of the situation on the ground, with a an hourlong flight. Branson could begin offering a ing the overall COVID-19 deaths to well as closure of malls, will take well as a record 71 deaths, bringing view to transitioning from cross-bor- Once the craft reaches its maxi- full commercial service next year, 2,625, as the country grappled with effect from Monday and last for at the toll to 3,756. The number of test- der to cross-line delivery”, he said. mum altitude, the pilots are to cut and tickets for a Virgin Galactic its worst ever wave. least 14 days. ed people found to be infected is “Unilateral sanctions are the the engines, causing it to drift and flight could cost $250,000 each, The Center for the COVID-19 Sit- The government has also asked hovering around 25 percent, and main obstacles in improving the allowing Branson and his fellow according to the BBC. uation Administration, or CCSA, public transport companies to equally alarming is how quickly the humanitarian situation in the coun- crew members to feel weightless At least 600 people are on a the country’s COVID-19 task force, reduce their services in order to dis- numbers have been rising. try,” Zhang said. for up to five minutes. waiting list for the opportunity to reported 9,326 cases, the second courage interprovincial travel, espe- Despite a strict national lock- UN Secretary-General Antonio Bezos, 57, had earlier announced travel 90 kilometers in a space- highest daily tally, raising the total cially from regions with high figures. down in Malaysia since June 1, new Guterres, the High Commissioner for that with his brother Mark, 53, he craft, the BBC said. The Italian Air number of infections to 326,832. Across the Asia-Pacific region cases continue to shoot up, with a Human Rights and the Office for the will fly into space on July 20, on an Force will be among the first to More than one-third of Satur- immunization rates have lagged record 9,180 cases reported on Fri- Coordination of Humanitarian 11-minute flight called the New She- pay for a trip. day’s new infections, 3,191 cases, for a variety of reasons, including day. Malaysians have been con- Affairs have repeatedly expressed pard, named after Alan Shepard. Bezos’ Blue Origin, a company were detected in the capital, Bang- production and distribution issues fined to their homes, with only one concerns on the negative humanitar- The aim of Bezos’ and Branson’s founded in 2000, is also hurtling kok, the center of a monthslong as well as the initial wait-and-see person per household allowed out ian consequences brought about by flights is to demonstrate that it is closer toward offering space tour- surge in infections. approach of many countries early to buy groceries. The death toll has unilateral sanctions, and called for safe for humans to travel beyond ism. It will reportedly charge pas- Daily new infections have been on when numbers were low and more than doubled to 5,903 since the lifting of these sanctions. On this, Earth before the two launch their sengers $200,000 for a ticket, above 5,000 for 10 consecutive there was less of a sense of urgency. June 1. Zhang said the international com- space tourism ventures. Both of Reuters reported. days, as the highly contagious Del- Indonesia has also been hard hit munity enjoys a broad consensus. their space companies have been Bezos, the world’s second-richest ta variant spreads fast in the coun- by the virus. The seven-day rolling AGENCIES — XINHUA As the Security Council has man- researching and testing the safety man with a net worth of $186.2 bil- dated the establishment of a cross- of their aircraft for nearly 20 years. lion, has reportedly put more than border mechanism, Zhang said it Branson hinted that on his $1 billion into the aerospace venture. naturally bears “responsibility for return from the trip Virgin Galac- SpaceX, run by Musk, is also Deadly ensuring the transparency and impar- tic would unveil plans to start sell- making great strides. It was the bomb attack tiality of the mechanism and guaran- ing its flights. “I truly believe that first private company to take teeing its humanitarian nature”. space belongs to all of us,” he said. humans from the US to the Inter- A wrecked rickshaw is seen in In view of this, China voted in favor “After 16 years of research, engi- national Space Station in May last the aftermath of a suicide car of this draft resolution. However, neering and testing, Virgin Galac- year and plans to put a crew into bomb attack near Banadir Zhang said China still believes that tic stands at the vanguard of a new orbit in September. hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, there is much to improve in the draft, commercial space industry, which on Saturday. At least nine especially when it comes to calling for is set to open space to humankind Agencies contributed to this story.