Book your flight to space now!

[BigEvil]

Virgin Galactic already booking passengers.
(http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23433757-details/Book+a+space+now+on+out+of+this+world+tourist+flig ht/article.do)

Interesting stuff. I always figured that space flight would advance much further much faster if it was privatized.

[tymcneer]

So... for a mear ~$200,000 you can get 4.5 minutes of weightlessness...

Or

Zero Gravity Corporation...

A Zero G flight lasts approximately thirty minutes, and consists of 15 parabolas: 2 that simulate martian gravity, 3 that simulate lunar gravity, and 10 that simulate weightlessness[9]. Each parabola begins with the aircraft climbing at a 45 degree angle at approximately 24,000 feet (7,300 m), peaks at 32,000 ft (9,800 m), and ends with the aircraft pointed down at a 30 degree angle.

Cost... $3,675

Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-Gravity_Corporation)

No real advantage to Virgin alatic, except for the "I've been in space" bragging rights... Definately no worth the additional cost.

Now... Wait 5 years, and let's see what a VG trip costs :)

Ty

[ClassicMagger]

Hey:

At least the prices are better than first expected ~147,000 USD compared to the estimated 1.2 Million USD proposed before.

Nice to see something going on up there-all I ever see is pitch black with some white spots-they say those are called 'stars,' but its all fake if you ask me.... :crazy:

-ClassicMagger

[BigEvil]

Now... Wait 5 years, and let's see what a VG trip costs :)

Ty

Exactly. Im excited to see the private sector get involved in space travel, which was kinda my point. Private business does things much better than the government.

[tymcneer]

Yes, and no... There are some ventures that private industry would have NEVER stepped up to... moon landings... deep space probes. The reason is... there is no profit.

Virgin has a plan. They've had a plan from day one! There were some drawings a while ago about a space "hotel and casino" that Virgin was working on. That is the real reason...

All of the neighsaying aside... I'm actually thrilled to see a real space venture moving forward... At some point we, the human race, will need to leave this rock, and find a new one to pollute, I mean colonize. This is one of the baby steps toward the goal of interstellar travel.

Check out Virgin Galactic's website (http://www.virgingalactic.com)

Ty

[Papa_Smurf]

very exciting! Does virgin still use the rubber cell rockets?