Virgin Galactic’s Rocket Man
Nicholas Schmidle writes about the ace pilot risking his life to fulfill Richard Branson’s billion-dollar quest to make commercial space travel a reality.
He is fifty-nine and has a loose-legged stroll, tousled salt-and-pepper hair, and sunken, suntanned cheeks. In other settings, he could pass for a retired beachcomber. He wears the smirk of someone who feels certain that he's having more fun than you are.