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Book a space now on out of this world tourist flight
Last updated at 13:23pm on 23.01.08This is the first craft that is set to make regular tourist flights into space.
Trip to the stars: the Virgin Galactic
The Virgin Galactic spacecraft, which was being unveiled in New York today, is already under construction. Test flights are expected to begin in June, with commercial flights starting 12 months later.
More than 200 potential astronauts are believed to have already paid deposits for the £100,000 flights, including actress Victoria Principal, scientist Stephen Hawking, and Princess Beatrice.
Flights will last for two hours and will include four and a half minutes of weightlessness.
The 60ft ship is expected to reach an altitude of 110km - 68 miles - and will be launched from underneath a mother ship called White Knight.
Ready for launch: the White Knight mother ship
Once the mother ship reaches 50,000 feet, which was the cruising altitude of Concorde, the spaceship is released and its rocket is fired, accelerating the craft up to 2,500mph, and taking it to 110km, officially making its passengers astronauts.
Reader views (5)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
This opens a whole new era for space travel. What will it be like in the next 10 years..50 years? To get this type of travel going it took private industry time and money to make it a reality. Beam me up Scottie!
- Joe, phila usa
When will the price come down? Will welfare clients be discriminated against because of the cost. If you want to keep inner city high schools from dropping out, would free flights for them help lower the drop put rate?
- David, Alpha Centauri
I hope they serve meals on these flights or I am not going!
- Cg, houston US
I really feel like if Princess Beatrice goes on that flight, we all are going with her in spirit.
- Tyler, Berkshire
I hope Pricess Beatrice is using her pocket money and not tax payers' funds for this trip.
- Gd, London
