Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit, a rocket under the wings of a modified Boeing 747 jet airliner, before taking off on July 10, 2019, in a keydrop test of a high-altitude launch system for satellites from Mojave, California, USA .. (Photo courtesy of Mike Break / Reuters)
Washington, USA — After flying founder Richard Branson into space, Virgin Galactic will resume selling tickets from $ 450,000, the company announced Thursday.
The new price is about double the $ 200,000 to $ 250,000 paid by about 600 people who previously booked virgin spacecraft seats. The company is trying to get a successful full crew test flight last month.
The next flight will come in September and will be attended by members of the Italian Air Force, a paid customer.
“We are pleased to announce the resumption of effective sales starting today,” CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement, with the first dive directed to people on the waiting list.
“We strive to bring the wonders of the universe to a wide range of people around the world, and we are delighted to open the door to a whole new industry and consumer experience.”
In July, Branson defeated the owner of Blue Origin Jeff Bezos into space In the battle between millionaires.
There is one more test after the September mission, but the launch calendar has not been revealed since then.
Customer offerings include single seats. Multi-seat for couples, friends and family. And the acquisition of Full Flight.
The spaceplane was originally designed to carry a crew of six, but last month there were only four flights called “full crew.” This suggests that it is the current number.
The company predicts that it will eventually operate up to 400 flights a year, with two seats available by lottery and registrations accepted until September 1.
Virgin’s space experience includes VSS Unity, an aerial launch spaceplane that attaches to the belly of a giant carrier-based aircraft and takes off from the Spaceport America runway in New Mexico.
After increasing altitude, the spaceplane ignites the rocket engine away from the mothership and climbs over 50 miles (80 km) above sea level.
Passengers unbuckle and experience weightlessness for a few minutes before the plane returns to the runway and lands.
The company is accused of emitting carbon dioxide by a much smaller number of people, although it is about the same as a transatlantic flight. It is said that it is considering the possibility of offsetting emissions.
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