Virgin Galactic, which flew its first full crew to the edge of space on Sunday, is giving away two free tickets for future space trips in the Omaze Sweepstakes.Winners will board Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity, the same spacecraft that just carried Virgin billionaire founder Richard Branson and his crew to an altitude of 282,773 feet. "Until now, most people could only dream of venturing beyond Earth," said Matt Pohlson, CEO and cofounder of charity platform Omaze. "Now, we are incredibly excited to team up with Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic, and Space for Humanity to give two everyday citizens a chance of going to space."
The money from sweepstakes applicants will go to Space for Humanity, a nonprofit seeking to make space more accessible for citizen astronauts of diverse racial, economic, and disciplinary backgrounds. The greater the amount that participants donate to Space for Humanity, the more contest entries are submitted. Participants who pay $100 are entered 2,000 times, with the most popular donation option costing $25 for 250 entries. Hopeful winners can also enter once without payment. The contest closes on Sept. 1, with the launch estimated to take place in early 2022.Space for Humanity said its ultimate purpose for sending citizen astronauts to space is to equip future leaders with the "Overview Effect," a phenomenon that often occurs after viewing Earth from orbit