Virgin to offer commercial trips to space.

[Katie Reynolds]

Branson, head of the Virgin Atlantic airline, said Monday that passengers in groups of five could be sent into orbit by 2008 at around £110,000 ($200,000) a trip.

The businessman -- who also heads Virgin trains in the UK -- revealed his outer-space business venture, potentially worth £14 million ($25 million), during a press gathering at the Royal Aeronautical Society in Central London.

The licensing deal could be worth millions over the next 15 years depending on the number of spaceships built by Virgin.

Prices for each seat are expected to start at £110,000, including three days' flight training. Virgin says that up to 3,000 astronauts could be flying high in space over a five-year period.

From: http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe...ace/index.html

Cool.

[Robot Dude 0101]

They should offer you a Virgin Mobile Satellite phone with that space trip too!

[ahecht]

You left out the best part: They are naming their first vehicle the VSS Enterprise!

[Stephen Kowski]

where did I put my checkbook.....sign me up

[Ashley Weed]

Wow!!! I think I know what I'm doing after I buy a Segway, a house, and a Hummer!!!!

It seems so expensive???

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Ashley Weed

Wow!!! I think I know what I'm doing after I buy a Segway, a house, and a Hummer!!!!

It seems so expensive???

Didn't the guy that went up with the russians pay far more than that? (Like $2 mil?) If so, that seems pretty ressonable to me.

[MisterX]

Originally Posted by Cory

Didn't the guy that went up with the russians pay far more than that? (Like $2 mil?) If so, that seems pretty ressonable to me.

Actually according to this article http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/.../story109.html
a whoopin $20 million was paid out for the American to hitch a ride with Russia to outter space!

[Jay H 237]

Next they'll be offering a lunar shuttle............with Ted Striker flying it!


I wonder how long of a flight you will get for your money.

[Bcahn836]

If you are a multi billionaire $200,000 is nothing. to the rest of us thats a house or that Enzo Ferrari you've always wanted.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Bcahn836

If you are a multi billionaire $200,000 is nothing. to the rest of us thats a house or that Enzo Ferrari you've always wanted.

Unless you're from California, then you only need to get 5 times that amount to get a house.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Jay H 237

I wonder how long of a flight you will get for your money.

The ship design will be based on SpaceShipOne, and will have a very similar flight profile. Branson's "Virgin Galactic" space tourism company will have passengers in flight for an hour or two. Less than five minutes of that will be above the magic 100km "space starts here" altitude, with the ship in freefall for a very short while longer on the way up and down.

Flights will almost certainly be offered as part of a several-day package deal.

[Adam Y.]

The ship design will be based on SpaceShipOne, and will have a very similar flight profile. Branson's "Virgin Galactic" space tourism company will have passengers in flight for an hour or two. Less than five minutes of that will be above the magic 100km "space starts here" altitude, with the ship in freefall for a very short while longer on the way up and down.

What I would like to know is who would be sane enough to go into a spacehip that does barrell rolls on the way up and who's technology is probably just as old as my mom.