Richard Branson will co-pilot Space Perspective's 1st crewed balloon flight to edge of Earth's atmosphere

理查德·布兰森将作为副驾驶员，驾驶太空视角公司研发的载人气球首次飞往地球大气层边缘

Richard Branson is going back to his balloon roots.

理查德·布兰森正在回归他的气球事业。

The Virgin Galactic founder made record-breaking hot-air balloon flights across the Atlantic and the Pacific in 1987 and 1991, respectively — and he'll soon take to the winds again, serving as co-pilot on the first crewed flight by Space Perspective, a Florida-based stratospheric ballooning company. That landmark mission is expected sometime in 2025.

这位维珍银河创始人曾在1987年和1991年分别完成了的破纪录热气球飞行，即跨越大西洋和太平洋。很快，他将担任太空视角公司的首次载人飞行的副驾驶再次乘风而起。这家公司总部位于佛罗里达州，专门从事平流层气球飞行。这项具有里程碑意义的任务预计将于2025年某个时候进行。

"Some of the most magnificent experiences of my life have happened on ballooning expeditions, and I'm excited to support Space Perspective in its journey," Branson said in an emailed statement today (Oct. 17). "I look forward to dusting off my old ballooning license ahead of some magnificent test flights."

布兰森在今天（10月17日）的一份电子邮件声明中表示：“我一生中最宏伟的一些经历发生在热气球探险中，因此我很高兴能够支持太空视角公司完成它的旅程。”“我期待着在一些宏伟的试飞之前掸掉我的旧气球执照上的灰尘。”

Branson has also invested in Space Perspective, which has raised $100 million to date, according to the statement.

有声明称，布兰森还投资了太空视角公司，该公司迄今为止已筹集1亿美元。

"I'm passionate about adventure and helping fellow entrepreneurs reach their business dreams," he said

他说：“我热衷于冒险，并且喜欢帮助其他企业家实现他们的商业梦想。”

Related: Space Perspective completes 1st uncrewed balloon flight to the edge of Earth's atmosphere (video)

相关：太空视角公司完成首次前往地球大气层边缘的无人气球飞行（视频）

Space Perspective plans to send paying customers to the stratosphere using a giant, hydrogen-filled balloon and an eight-passenger crew capsule called Spaceship Neptune.

太空视角公司计划使用名为“海王星”的宇宙飞船将付费客户送上平流层。海王星宇宙飞船有一个能搭乘八名乘客的太空舱，通过可再生氢能将这个巨大的太空气球（Space Balloon）升空。

It will be a much different experience than the rocket-powered suborbital rides offered by Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' aerospace company. For example, each Space Perspective flight will be long and leisurely, traveling at the average speed of the wind and lasting roughly six hours.

这将与维珍银河公司和杰夫·贝索斯航空航天公司-蓝色起源提供的火箭动力亚轨道飞行截然不同。例如，每次太空视角公司的飞行都将是漫长而悠闲的，以平均风速行进，持续大约六个小时。

Spaceship Neptune is designed to keep people happy for such long jaunts. It's large enough to walk around in, for example, and features big windows, a bar and a fully appointed bathroom.

海王星号宇宙飞船旨在让人们在长途旅行中保持快乐。例如，它足够大，人们可以在里面走动，并且有大窗户、酒吧和设备齐全的浴室。

Spaceship Neptune will reach a maximum altitude of about 20 miles (32 kilometers) — far below the boundary of space, which is either 50 miles (80 km) or 62 miles (100 km), depending upon whom you ask. But that's still high enough to get breathtaking views of Earth against the blackness of space, according to the company.

海王星号宇宙飞船将达到大约20英里（32公里）的最大高度，这远低于太空边界。根据不同的定义，太空边界要么是50英里（80公里），要么是62英里（100公里）。但据该公司称，海王星号宇宙飞船所能达到的高度已经足够高，可以让人们在太空的黑暗背景下欣赏到地球的壮丽景色。

Branson will get to compare the Spaceship Neptune experience with a suborbital trip; he went to the final frontier aboard Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane in July 2021.

布兰森将有机会比较海王星号飞船与亚轨道旅行的体验；2021年7月，他乘坐维珍银河公司的VSS Unity太空飞机前往最终的边疆。

Space Perspective conducted its first full-up test flight last month, using an uncrewed test capsule called Excelsior. Everything went well on that mission, which traveled on the same trajectory that tourist flights will take.

太空视角公司上个月进行了首次全面试飞，使用了一艘名为“Excelsior”的无人驾驶测试舱。这次任务一切顺利，飞行轨迹与旅游航班相同。

Branson will be joined on the upcoming crewed flight by Space Perspective co-founders Taber MacCollum and Jane Poynter, who will also serve as co-pilots.

布兰森将与太空视角公司联合创始人泰伯·麦科勒姆和简·波因特一起参加即将到来的载人飞行，他们两人也将担任副驾驶。

"Richard's pioneering efforts in the ballooning industry were a key inspiration for us when we founded Space Perspective," Poynter said in the same statement. "We are now on a mission to give Explorers breathtaking views of the Earth against a black sky, and do so gently in a way that only balloons enable."

波因特在同一份声明中表示：“当我们创立太空视角公司时，理查德在气球行业的开创性努力对我们来说是一个重要的灵感来源。”“我们现在的使命是让探险者在黑色的天空下背景下欣赏令人惊叹的地球景色，并且以只有气球才能做到的方式温和地做到这一点。”

More than 1,800 people have reserved a seat aboard Spaceship Neptune, for $125,000 a pop, according to the company. For comparison, Virgin Galactic currently charges $450,000 for a ride to suborbital space. Blue Origin has not released its ticket prices.

据该公司称，已有1800多人预订了海王星号宇宙飞船的座位，每人支付12.5万美元。相比之下，维珍银河目前乘坐亚轨道空间的收费为每人45万美元。蓝色起源尚未公布票价。