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Nicko · Sep 28, 2006, 09:36 AM

Ok this is pretty awsome. If a trip is $200,000 in 2009, by 2020 it should be what? $20,000?

Branson unveils Virgin spaceship

The "spaceships" are designed to carry a maximum of eight people

Sir Richard Branson has unveiled a mock-up of the rocket-powered vehicle that will carry clients into space through his Virgin Galactic business. The Virgin "spaceships" are designed to carry six passengers and two pilots to an altitude of about 140km on a sub-orbital space flight.
Tickets on a Virgin Galactic flight are expected to cost £100,000 ($190,000).
The model was unveiled at the Javits exhibition centre in New York on Thursday.
The Virgin craft are based on the design of SpaceShipOne, built by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan, which became the first privately-built vehicle to reach space in 2004.
SpaceShipOne made three flights to altitudes just greater than 100km - the edge of the Earth's atmosphere - claiming the prestigious Ansari X-Prize.
The rocket plane was first carried to a launch altitude of 15km (50,000ft) by an aircraft, or mothership, called White Knight.
It was then released and ignited its rocket engine, which propelled it through the atmosphere.
The $10m (£5.7m) Andsari X-Prize was offered to the first non-government, manned flight into space.
Virgin Group has contracted Rutan's company Scaled Composites to design and build the spaceship and its mothership. Virgin Galactic will own and operate at least five spaceships and two motherships.
The passenger flights, which could begin in 2009, will take off from a $225m (£127m) facility called Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert.
Virgin Galactic is one of several private firms vying to open up public access to space.

Eug Wanker · Sep 28, 2006, 09:43 AM

I'd pay $10000 for that. I can wait 20 years.

nonhuman · Sep 28, 2006, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

I'd pay $10000 for that. I can wait 20 years.

Totally. I can't wait.

Maybe by that point we'll be lucky enough that the flights don't just take us to orbit (or sub-orbit as the first generation will), but to some sort of permanently established moonbase (or orbital station) complete with hotel.

Dakar · Sep 28, 2006, 09:46 AM

Virgin Galactic. I love it.

Nicko · Sep 28, 2006, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar

Virgin Galactic. I love it.

Zero G Sex. Thats all they would have to say and they would be booked up for a decade.

Dakar · Sep 28, 2006, 09:55 AM

Nah, I like to brace myself against something. And I don't need to be flying across the room everytime I bang the chick's head into the wall.

Eug Wanker · Sep 28, 2006, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by nonhuman

Totally. I can't wait.

Maybe by that point we'll be lucky enough that the flights don't just take us to orbit (or sub-orbit as the first generation will), but to some sort of permanently established moonbase (or orbital station) complete with hotel.

Plus, given the (in)stability of the original plane on which this plane is based, I wouldn't be first in line to go up, even if it were only $10000.

starman · Sep 28, 2006, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by Nicko

Zero G Sex. Thats all they would have to say and they would be booked up for a decade.

You're probably right.

Eug Wanker · Sep 28, 2006, 09:58 AM

Zero G? They'll be zero G for all of what, 10 seconds? It's not as if they're going into orbit.

Dakar · Sep 28, 2006, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Zero G? They'll be zero G for all of what, 10 seconds? It's not as if they're going into orbit.

Good, then I'll have 7 seconds to spare.

Gossamer · Sep 28, 2006, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar

Good, then I'll have 7 seconds to spare.

You made me laugh out loud at work.

Dakar · Sep 28, 2006, 10:12 AM

Mmm, which reminds me of Moonraker...

"My God, what's he doing?"
"I believe he's attempting reentry, sir."

turtle777 · Sep 28, 2006, 10:22 AM

Does it come loaded with virgins ?

Oh, wait, nevermind. Just a misunderstanding

-t

Dark Helmet · Sep 28, 2006, 10:37 AM

Screw that. Until its got the comfort of the U.S.S Enterprise or at the very least.. at bathroom.. I am not going anywhere.

starman · Sep 28, 2006, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Gossamer

You made me laugh out loud at work.

That's 2 people he did that to this week.

Dakar · Sep 28, 2006, 10:45 AM

I am streaking this week. I'm gonna be bummed out when they start flopping.

Edit: Holy, double context sentence, Batman.

starman · Sep 28, 2006, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar

I am streaking this week.

Where? Should we alert the news media?

Andy8 · Sep 28, 2006, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet

Screw that. Until its got the comfort of the U.S.S Enterprise or at the very least.. at bathroom.. I am not going anywhere.

Actually I have never seen the bathrooms on the U.S.S Enterprise, nor ever see Kirk run for a call of nature ~

Andy8 · Sep 28, 2006, 07:29 PM

Oh wait, the word "Klingon" seems more fitting to use now

Dark Helmet · Sep 28, 2006, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by Andy8

Actually I have never seen the bathrooms on the U.S.S Enterprise, nor ever see Kirk run for a call of nature ~

They showed them in Voyager.

chabig · Sep 28, 2006, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Zero G? They'll be zero G for all of what, 10 seconds? It's not as if they're going into orbit.

It'll be a couple of minutes, actually.

D. S. Troyer · Sep 28, 2006, 09:34 PM

"Virgin unveils Spaceship for tourists."

72 virgins on each flight?

Dark Helmet · Sep 28, 2006, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by chabig

It'll be a couple of minutes, actually.

That's like 1000 G's for every 0 G

porieux · 12:45 AM

...

Kerrigan · Sep 28, 2006, 10:13 PM

Ya as someone said above, they'll get to float around the spacecraft in zero g for like 4 minutes. Then they begin the descent. Looks fun to me.

porieux · 12:45 AM

...

Kerrigan · Sep 29, 2006, 12:06 AM

This has never been done and already it's not enough?