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20k Down Can Get You Up Into Space

Posted by timothy on from the bad-credit-no-credit-come-on-down dept.

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."

2 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. Cheaper by romka1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Thats much cheaer then the 20 million you have to pay to go on Souz :) But with Souz you get to stay on ISS for a few days

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  2. We know what we're getting into. by Radak · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Virgin's already got my deposit. I'm going.

    The naysayers can say what they want, but those of who are actually involved and actually paying for tickets are fully apprised of what the spaceship is, where it's going, and for how long.

    It's been my dream ever since I knew space existed to get there, and since I can afford it, $200,000 for a few minutes there is worth it to me.

    No, this isn't controlled orbital insertion, but it is still a flight into space, hence spaceflight, and flights like these are a vital first step toward getting real civilian orbital travel working, and I'll be first in line for that, too. If I have any money left, that is.

    You guys can whine about ballistic space travel not being real spaceflight all you want. I know what it is, I have no doubts about its value to me, and I'm going for a ride on a rocketship!