Digital Crosstalk

Head into Space with Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America

Posted by Brian | Filed under air

Image via Wikipedia

A new era in travel is almost upon us – the chance to travel into outer space. So often believed to be nothing more of a pipedream, the chance to make the trip has taken a giant step towards reality with the official beginning of the construction of Spaceport America, New Mexico.

The project, which costs $200 million, is being funded by New Mexico state and it hopes the project will boost both tourism and employment.

The spaceport is expected to begin sending tourists into outer space as early as next year aboard space flights operated by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. There’s no shortage of willing travellers either, as Branson has said that the list of people registered for space flight sits at 45,000, spread across 120 countries. However, it doesn’t come cheap – the Spaceport America website quotes a cost of $200,000 for the opportunity.

The Virgin Galactic ‘spaceships’ will be launched from a 10,000 foot-long runway and reach an altitude of 50,000 feet before breaking free from specially designed carrier aircraft and accelerating under rocket power to reach a maximum altitude of 62 miles above the earth. Each flight will last around two hours and travellers will experience some 5 minutes of weightlessness.

Virgin hopes to be able to undertake one flight per week with up to six paying customers on board each trip. Travellers will also undergo three days’ training before launch, unlike the International Space Station two-week jaunts, which requires months of training and comes with a price tag in the region of $30 million.

But if you have a couple of hours spare, as well as the fare, you can book your flight aboard a Virgin Galactic space flight. Even if you don’t have the $200,000 required, you can lay down a deposit for a mere $20,000.

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Tags: space, virgin