The Virgin Group mogul gave the ticket as a way to say thanks to the actress for saving his mother last year.

Photo credit: Nikki Nelson/WENN

For saving his elderly mother from a house fire last year, Kate Winslet was bestowed a trip to the space by Sir Richard Branson. The actress was gifted a ticket worth $200,000 for a journey in his Virgin Galactic shuttle.

Winslet became a hero in August 2011 when she rescued Branson’s 90-year-old mother from a burning house at 4 A.M. The private residence on Necker Island in the British Virgin Island was reportedly struck by lightning during a tropical storm. “I’m just so glad that everyone is safe. And this very easily could not have been the case,” Winslet said after the incident.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the ticket was also a wedding gift for Winslet who secretly married Branson’s nephew Ned Rocknroll earlier this month. The newlyweds will be joined by a number of celebrities who have booked for the two-hour flight such as Ashton Kutcher and Russell Brand.

Branson hopes to start the flights next year. Passengers will have “a brief moment of quiet before a wave of unimaginable but controlled power surges” during the journey. They will also experience weightlessness and see the Earth’s curve.

On another news, Winslet is not pregnant despite reports that suggested otherwise. Sources told NY Post that she did not marry Rocknroll because of the reason.

© AceShowbiz.com