(Washington) Space tourism company Virgin Galactic, which offers a few minutes of space travel to prospective customers, announced on Thursday that it was reselling tickets from US $ 450,000.
The company, founded by billionaire Richard Branson, boarded a test flight in July, having already sold nearly 600 tickets between 2005 and 2014, priced at between 200,000 and 250 000 US dollars at the time.
When the Virgin Galactic tickets went on sale again, they warned that they would be more expensive.
The company offers three options: reserve a single seat, a bundle of several seats for couples, friends or family, or finally buy all the seats on the ship.
In addition to the next two pilots, it was designed to accommodate six passengers, but the currently used model can only accommodate four.
“Prices for these offers start at $ 450,000 per seat,” Virgin Galactic said in a statement, along with its quarterly results.
“Sales will initially open to a list of those who appear much earlier,” the company said. These people who are already on the waiting list have a “preference” to buy their ticket.
A new waiting list will open “soon” and be available on the company’s website, as promised by Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazer during a conference call.
The Virgin Galactic uses a massive carrier plane (VMS Eve) that departs from the traditional runway and then leaves a large private jet-like spaceship (VSS Unity). It ignites its engine beyond a height of 80 km and then descends while gliding. Passengers can split up and experiment for a few minutes at zero gravity.
The company owner also explained the schedule of future flights: a new test flight with a focus on scientific research offer, scheduled with the Italian Air Force in late September.
Shortly after the “improvements” in the carrier flight, another flight with a full flight is scheduled.
Finally, the first commercial flight of private astronauts must take place in the “third quarter” 2022, as mentioned by Mr. Colglacier.
So far, the start of normal commercial operations has been announced in early 2022.
On July 11, Richard Branson boarded a plane carrying three other company employees from the Spaceport base in Space, New Mexico.
“Our long-term goal is to provide spacecraft almost every day, not just from New Mexico, but from many places around the world,” said Doug Ahrens, CFO of the Virgin Galaxy. The company aims to fly 400 aircraft a year to the space station.
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