Google is continuing to look toward the stars. The tech titan's latest move into the space sector is a minority stake in Virgin Galactic, the space tourism project from Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson.
It comes on the heels of the search company's recent acquisitions of Titan Aerospace and SkyBox for satellite innovation aimed at delivering Internet service to under-served areas of the planet.
Now, it appears Google wants to literally move its effort into the atmosphere. The deal is reportedly costing Google around $30 million and it will have a 1.5 percent stake in Virgin Galactic.
While the deal has not been finalized yet, at least not officially, most observers and sources being reported say this is just the beginning of a new partnership between Virgin and Google for expanding space travel.
According to reports, spaceships from Virgin Galactic will install Google's low-orbit satellites in space, where they will then reach areas across the planet that have little or no Internet connectivity. Virgin Galactic's LauncherOne should assist SkyBox Imaging and other commercial satellite companies get things into orbit.
Google has made no secret of its intention to enter what is quickly becoming the tech world's space race of sorts, with both Google and Facebook seeking supremacy of the skies.
"Titan Aerospace and Google share a profound optimism about the potential for technology to improve the world. It's still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring Internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation. It's why we're so excited to welcome Titan Aerospace to the Google family," a Google spokesman said in confirming the reports on the Titan acquisition.
The minority stake in Virgin Galactic could be the impetus for Google to get into the space travel tourism sector. Virgin Galactic is seen as a key asset for this endeavor and it aims to push the company into the forefront of extra-Earth travel.
Virgin Galactic currently is aiming to deliver travelers to space for a $200,000 price tag. A number of celebrities and wealthy people have already made deposits to get up into the atmosphere.
The tech world's continued launching into space shows the will of companies like Google to push forward in an effort to lead the space race as it continues to one-up its main rival Facebook, who has also shown interest in heading to the stars.
