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| A trip to the edge of space worth 450 thousand dollars |
Space Travel has announced that Richard Branson's company, Virgin Galactic, has reopened ticket sales for spaceflight through their SpaceShipTwo spacecraft.
It starts at $450,000, which is a huge improvement over the $200,000 the company had been talking about for years before the sale.
After Branson was able to board the II Edge of Space spacecraft in July, tickets reopened. It is the flagship of Virgin Galactic, which can carry four passengers for several minutes of weightlessness at an altitude of about 85 kilometers.
Before Virgin Galactic flew with individual customers in late 2022, the mission called Unity 22 was a major test of the missile plane.
"We are benefiting from increased consumer interest following the Unity 22 flight and are pleased to announce the resumption of sales," Virgin Galactic's CEO said in a statement.
"As we strive to bring the wonders of space to a large population of the world, we are excited to open the door to a whole new industrial and consumer experience," he added.
Since the fatal crash on the test flight in 2014, ticket sales to private customers have been closed. After that incident, Branson vowed to take over SpaceShipTwo to show his confidence in the aircraft's safety even before flying with paying customers.
A trip to the edge of space worth 450 thousand dollars
After the mission ended on July 11, the company's goal was to conduct the first revenue-generating mission by the end of September. The unit's mission carries 23 search payloads and three members of the Italian Air Force.
The company said missions such as those by the Italian Air Force cost $600,000 per seat.
Customers wishing to pay $450,000 will have to pay for a standing seat in the queue.
The company said it has nearly 600 ticket holders who have to go first. Next up is approximately 1,000 potential customers who have deposited $1,000.
With new ticket sales, Virgin Galactic offers three ways to travel with SpaceShipTwo: single seat, multi-seat or medium.
The company said: The first sales began to open up to the list of important pioneers in the company. Prioritize the astronaut community who will have the opportunity to retain their place in space first. A priority list has been created for customers interested in booking future space flights.