Two of Richard Branson's space tourism planes—SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo—lifted off on their first test flights in nine months today, but at some point during the test SpaceShipTwo suffered what Virgin is calling an "in-flight anomaly," killing one pilot and injuring another. Authorities confirmed the casualty in…

Virgin Galactic, the space-tourism business launched by ruddy cartoon businessman Richard Branson, pulled off its first successful rocket-powered flight yesterday, bringing the world one step closer to a future in which rich people can go to space, for a little while.

Remember when elegant British superstar Kate Winslet married a man who, like an idiot, changed his name to "Ned RocknRoll," and the whole world let out a collective, "Huh?" Today comes news that clarifies everything: Winslet's wedding gift, courtesy of RocknRoll's billionaire uncle, Richard Branson, is a trip to space

Virgin Atlantic is classing up its bar service by popping oversized ice cubes shaped like company founder Richard Branson's severed head in all their drinks, The Daily Mail reports.

Remember how Kate Winslet had to escape from Richard Branson's private Virgin Island after it caught ablaze during Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene? Well, it appears that the blaze was caused by all the hot hot passion between Winslet and Branson's nephew, Ned, who was also on the scene.

Richard Branson's sprawling home on his private island in the Caribbean tragically burned to the ground this week after it was struck by lightning caused by Hurricane Irene. Fortunately no one was injured, thanks in part to actress Kate Winslet, who was vacationing on the island and carried Branson's 90-year-old…

As we speak, Hurricane Irene (upgraded from "tropical storm" this morning and the first Atlantic hurricane of the season) is ravaging the Caribbean. So obviously, the next question on your mind must be, "But how are local celebrities doing?" The New York Post will have you know that Kate Winslet narrowly escaped a…

What is lion-maned billionaire gadabout Richard Branson (pictured) up to this week? No, not his plans to dive to the bottom of the deepest sea. That was two whole weeks ago. This week, he's announced plans to populate his wholly-owned Caribbean island with lemurs. He's also auctioning off the right to shave his legs.…

Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson is adding "undersea exploration" to a growing list of fantastical business ventures that already includes trans-continental air travel, space tourism, and pay-as-you-go cellphone usage. Noting that "more men have been to the moon than have been down further than 20,000 feet…

In your tremulous Tuesday media column: Richard Branson strikes the iPad, a college newspaper editor burns out, the Washington Post gets shut down, and in-house news.

Richard Branson stopped by the Today Show to let us know how close we actually are from the first ever commercial space flight. Always one for subtlety, he also plugged his newest, kinda awesome, iPad app in his own way.

Cross-branding master Richard Branson is boldly going where only billionaires can go with the inaugural flight of his new spaceship. Soon, rich people can travel into space and be a captive audience to the Greatest Salesman of All Time.

There's a myth Americans are dumb while Europeans read Kierkegaard from childhood. Except a survey in England found one in 20 kids think Luke Skywalker or Richard Branson were first on the moon and the Queen invented the telephone. [BBC]

[Lindsay Lohan congratulates publicist Jessica Meisels on being the 9 millionth person to find the cokey actress' Blackberry, at Richard Branson's Rock the Kasbah party in L.A. last night. Image via Getty]

Jessica Simpson's breakup was caused by her idolatry of a plastic toy. Amy Winehouse has fun adventures with a private dick. Lindsay Lohan's employed, Saved By The Bell, Charles Manson, Mary Cheney, and more. Here's your Sunday Morning Gossip Roundup:

Super-publicist Peggy Siegal is turning 62 today. David Hasselhoff turns 57. Donald Sutherland is 74. Producer Mark Burnett is 49. Phyllis Diller is 92. Defense attorney Peter Neufeld is turning turns 59. Linda Gibbs, the Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services, is turning 50 today. Comedian Beth Littleford is 41. …

Heidi Klum walking along the Hudson with her mom and kids ... Sir Richard Branson and son Sam sitting in front of their hotel in midtown ... Naomi Watts grabbing breakfast in the East Village ... Harrison Ford arriving on the set of Morning Glory in midtown ... Bethenny Frankel feeding apples to a horse across the…