 aren't held back from something they really want to do and that if they put their minds to it they can do it.)' Follow our live blog here Pauline and her two sons reflected on how former businessman Jon has waited 18 years for his flights paying $200,000 for his seat. The cost has now soared to $450,000. Asked about the ticket, Pauline laughed and said: 'He thinks he got a bargain'. Virgin Galactic is taking its first space tourists on a long-delayed rocket ship ride, including a former British Olympian who bought his ticket 18 years ago and a mother-daughter duo from the Caribbean. The flight window opens Thursday morning at Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert for a ride to the edge of space. If all goes well, Richard Branson's company will begin offering monthly trips to customers on its winged space plane, joining Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX in the space tourism business. Virgin Galactic passenger Jon Goodwin, who was among the first to buy a ticket in 2005, said he had faith that he would someday make the trip. The 80-year-old athlete — he competed in canoeing in the 1972 Olympics — has){kind=link}
Pauline Goodwin, the wife of intrepid astronaut Jon Goodwin, said she is ‘very proud’ moments before the launch of Virgin Galactic’s first rocket ship ride
The wife of intrepid astronaut Jon Goodwin has spoken of her pride just moments before the historic Virgin Galactic launch into space.
Pauline Goodwin told the Mirror that she was “absolutely fine” an hour before taking off in the New Mexico desert. Parkinson’s sufferer Jon emerged at 7.05am local time along with fellow crew members, Aberdeen University student Anastatia Mayers, 18, and her mother Keisha Schahaff.
On the tarmac at Spaceport America Pauline spoke exclusively to the Mirror. She said: “I’m absolutely fine. Obviously emotional. It’s been a long time coming. We are very proud.”
Of her inspirational husband’s historic flight she said: “I just hope that people who know of this (Parkinson’s) aren’t held back from something they really want to do and that if they put their minds to it they can do it.”