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.
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.
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.
