The Virgin Galactic project is still on track, with Sir Richard Branson unveiling SpaceShipTwo – which will allow people to visit space for £121,500 a pop.
The Rutan built ship is the successor to the SpaceShipOne which won the X prize by becoming the first private manned spaceship to reach space.
Branson and his family will be the first space tourists on the Virgin Galactic ship, but it is reported that 300 people have already paid up the $200,000 (£121k) fee or at the very least a deposit to book a place on subsequent flights.
'Screw it'
"I have been dreaming about it ever since the Moon landing - that one day I would get the chance to go into space, said Branson from the Mojave desert launch site.
"Nasa, I suppose, didn't think that you or me would like to go into space. So a number of years ago I thought 'Screw it , let's do it, let's build our own spacecraft'."
The first flight is scheduled for early 2011, with the first six passengers – and two pilots – potentially representing a new generation of space tourists.
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quatermass
December 23rd 2009
4. Why pay £121K to get weightless for 10minutes?
Why not pay a tenth of that and go in a Boeing Jet and experience the same weightlessness for a fraction of the cost and in a much bigger area.
It's not as if this 'spaceship' can actually get into space any way. It can only just touch the fringe of the atmosphere.
Look up the definition of the edge of Space and you'll find a big difference of what it is and what this aeroplane can reach.
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madjedi
December 13th 2009
3. This is getting closer to affordable. Now
millionaires can afford to go up not just billionaires. £121k is within reach of being a big competition prize as well so normal people have a small chance to give it another 10 or 15 years and it will be down to the £15000 or range and more or less affordble to most people that want to save up for it. I hope there's a chace that I can go up in the next few years. I am 34 now might be posible for my 50 or 60th birthday!
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fishyie
December 11th 2009
2. a week skiing trip costs me a grand i could have over 2 years of skiing holidays for the cost of space travel
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grayw
December 8th 2009
1. If i had a spare £121k I know what I would be using it on. Would be so cool to get up there, even for just a second.
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