It's the next generation of the space race, and on Thursday, a major victory came from the other side of the country.Virgin Galactic did in the desert what a couple of companies are trying to do in Brevard County.WESH 2's Matt Lupoli asked the experts if this leaves Central Florida in the dust.Two Virgin Galactic pilots took a spacecraft called Unity further than any other manned commercial flight before it.Already, more than 600 people are signed up for a trip into space.The test flight appears to give Virgin Galactic an edge over others in the corporate space race -- like Blue Origin and SpaceX. Dale Ketcham is the vice president of Space Florida, which operates the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center.And while Virgin Galactic is based out west, Space Florida is working to clear the way in Central Florida.Right now, the cost of a ticket to space is out of reach for most people -- at a quarter million dollars -- but Space Florida is fixed on looking towards the future, when space travel might be more affordable.

It's the next generation of the space race, and on Thursday, a major victory came from the other side of the country.

Virgin Galactic did in the desert what a couple of companies are trying to do in Brevard County.


WESH 2's Matt Lupoli asked the experts if this leaves Central Florida in the dust.

Two Virgin Galactic pilots took a spacecraft called Unity further than any other manned commercial flight before it.

Already, more than 600 people are signed up for a trip into space.

The test flight appears to give Virgin Galactic an edge over others in the corporate space race -- like Blue Origin and SpaceX.

Dale Ketcham is the vice president of Space Florida, which operates the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center.

And while Virgin Galactic is based out west, Space Florida is working to clear the way in Central Florida.

Right now, the cost of a ticket to space is out of reach for most people -- at a quarter million dollars -- but Space Florida is fixed on looking towards the future, when space travel might be more affordable.