Slashdot Mirror
20k Down Can Get You Up Into Space
TheOzz writes "Virgin Galactic announced this week that space tourism will be a reality by 2008. The company is already taking $20,000 deposits for the estimated $200,000 seats on their new spaceships. You can reserve your seat today at the Virgin Galactic web site. The Virgin Group's Branson teamed up with SpaceShipOne builder Burt Rutan to form The Spaceship Company that will build these new commercial spaceships. They are building 9-person spaceships that will carry 7 paying passengers and two crew members, according to space.com. They report that test flights should start in 2007."
Just one more thing to do when I win the lottery.
Isn't that a synonym for Slashdotters in Space?
Your seat cushion can be used as a heat shield during the rapid descent.
Notice anything about their expected demographic?
I'm suprised there's no HRH and 'Bill Gates' options
FGD 135
If you are in a place in your life where spending $200,000 to be taken up above the atmostphere for a little while seems like a good idea, you probably don't give a shit about $20,000.
Note to those who are mere millionaires instead of billionaires: It would be much cheaper and almost as good to get one of your rich asshole friends to take you along for a ride on their Gulfstream V jets sometimes. Those private gets fly high enough that the sky is dark blue in the daytime. Very cool. Plus, there's no need to wear a gay-ass looking space suit.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
Well, if I was rich enough that I could throw away that kind of money, I'd rather spend the $20M to go to ISS. On the other hand, there are a lot more people with $200K to trow away on getting 'into space' than $20M. I know a reasonable number of people with $200K equity that they could pull out of their savings/investments without ending up destitute. The number of people with $20M, on the other hand, I've mostly only seen on the news, or in passing.
Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
After 2001 debuted, someone at PanAm got smart and instead of hanging up on what they thought were cranks looking for tickets to the moon, they started taking cataloged down payments on the first PanAm flights to the moon...
One way or the other, I want to visit my one acre on the moon!
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
Will they accept a personal check the day of the launch? ;)
Content Management System: A pretentious way of saying "text editor."
from the bad-credit-no-credit-come-on-down dept.
but do they habla español?
1. NASA = 20k
...
2. NASA = 20k
3. NASA = 20k
7. NASA = 20k
Gross: 140k
The funding of the next space mission is now secure!
Down payment on space flight = $20K
Final payment on space flight = $180K
Realizing you spent $200K to have a fellow passenger throw up on you in Space = priceless
I'll wait and get my ticket on priceline.com.
"The number of people with $20M, on the other hand, I've mostly only seen on the news, or in passing." You're Dr Shipman and I claim my free five pounds ...
but how much to get you down?
Unknown at this point what will be allowed, but you can be pretty sure they'll be more than happy to provide a keepsake DVD afterwards. Watch them charge $69.95 for it, too.