FOG BLOG U.S. NEWS LOG: BILLIONAIRE RICHARD BRANSON GOES TO SPACE IN NEW STYLE SPACE CRAFT !

Richard Branson goes to space.......Branson: "Welcome to the dawn of a new space age"...

• Branson in space: Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson successfully returned to earth aboard Virgin's rocket-powered plane, making him the first billionaire to travel to space aboard a spacecraft he helped fund.

• Time to fly: Branson announced a partnership with charity fundraising site Omaze, which will allow people to donate to Humanity for Space, a nonprofit seeking to democratize space, for a chance to win two seats on a Virgin Galactic commercial flight.

• Eyes to the sky: Branson said his mission is to "make space more accessible to all" and marked the success of his flight by stating: "Welcome to the dawn of a new space age."...Traveling to space must be "more accessible to all," Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson said during a news conference following his successful flight aboard Galactic's VSS Unity earlier today.

"We're here to make space more accessible to all. We want to turn the next generation of dreamers into the astronauts of today and tomorrow. We've all us on this stage have had the most extraordinary experience, and we'd love it if a number of you can have it, too," he said. "If you ever had a dream, now is the time to make it come true. I'd like to end by saying welcome to the dawn of a new space age."