About two dozen passengers have bowed out of the opportunity to be among the first space tourists since the Virgin Galactic air crash, which killed a pilot, the company’s chief executive officer said in an interview.
The passengers have had their US$250,000 tickets refunded, marking the first time any of the 800 potential space travelers have pulled out of the project, George Whitesides said in an interview published in the Daily Telegraph today.
The October 31 crash above the Mojave Desert in California has dented Virgin Group founder Richard Branson’s ambitions to send paying passengers into space. Co-pilot Michael Alsbury died in the accident while pilot Peter Siebold is still in hospital.
"A few people have asked for a refund," Mr Whitesides told the Telegraph. "I don't think that's surprising and I think what is relevant is that the vast majority have said 'don't give up, keep going, we're with you'."
A new model of the company’s SpaceShipTwo that crashed is expected to start test flights within six months, Mr Whitesides said.
“I think with all of these kinds of events, the first reaction is a kind of disbelief before reality sets in quite quickly,” Mr Whitesides said.
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Pakistan v New Zealand Test series
Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza
New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner
Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Roma 4
Milner (15' OG), Dzeko (52'), Nainggolan (86', 90 4')
Liverpool 2
Mane (9'), Wijnaldum (25')
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
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