The entrepreneur says he was inspired to launch his space tourism drive after being questioned by a young caller on the television programme Going Live! 1988.
Now Sir Richard has re-released the video footage of his interview and is trying to find Shihan Musafer, who asked him 'Have you ever thought about going into space?' 26 years ago.
Retro Richard: The Virgin boss answered a call
from a curious boy in 1988 on BBS show Going Live which he says inspired
his idea for Virgin Galactic
At the time, the Virgin boss answered: 'I'd love to go into space as I think that pretty much everyone watching this show would love to go into space.'
Adding: 'There could be nothing nicer. If you're building a spacecraft I'd love to come with you on it.'
Just last month, in an interview with Jonathan Ross, Branson admitted it was young Shihan's question that prompted him to start thinking about space tourism.
He said: ‘You never know what sparks things off in your mind but as a result of that show we registered the name Virgin Galactic Airways.
‘Over the next decade I started travelling around the world meeting technicians and engineers to see if we could find a genius who could build a spaceship that could take you and me into space.’
Aiming high: Richard Branson has already
launched his SpaceShipTwo vehicle which would in turn send the
LauncherOne into space for tourist flights
Sir Richard said the idea was the ‘beginning of a whole new era of space travel’ and was ‘the most ridiculously exciting thing that I've done in my lifetime’.
He said: 'People will become astronauts, they’ll be able to experience zero gravity. They’ll be able to check the world is really round and they’ll have the ride of a lifetime.'
As the Virgin Galactic programme enters its final stages, with 700 people already signed up to journey into space, the entrepreneur wants to find the boy that inspired the idea.
A message from Virgin Galactic reads: 'Now, Richard and the Virgin Galactic team are keen to track down Shihan to say a personal thank you for helping to inspire the idea with that phone call.'
Virgin is using the hashtag #shihanmusafer on Twitter and responses have already started flooding in, including one claim that he is now living in Sydney and another that links to a LinkedIn profile of a Site Acquisition and Environment Manager with the same name.
Virgin Galactic was founded in 2004, shortly after the creation of the first reusable spacecraft for private use - the SpaceShipOne - which was designed by retired aerospace engineer Burt Rutan.
SS1 was the first private spaceship to complete a series of high-altitude flights in 2004.
Branson's Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo is a larger version of the SS1 - and can accommodate six people plus two pilots.
Hollywood stars Tom Hanks and Angelina Jolie are among around 700 people who have paid up to £155,000 to take part in a two-hour flight aboard Branson's SS2.
New horizons: Virgin Galactic has been testing its shuttles ahead of a proposed launch later this year
Bold ambition: Branson's Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo can accommodate six people plus two pilots
Along with the flight – which aims to reach 62 miles above earth - those aboard will experience about five minutes of weightlessness as part of the package.
So far, three test flights of the SS2 have only managed altitude of around 71,000ft - approximately 13 miles.
In order to receive the necessary Federal Aviation Administration licence, the craft needs to complete test missions at full speed and 62-mile height.
Critics say the engine in Mr Branson's craft will need redesigning before it is capable of getting to the required altitude - making an autumn flight unlikely.
DM
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