Virgin Galactic Gearing Up For Space Industry

Virgin Galactic is moving staff to its New Mexico Spaceport in a sign that the company is really beginning to “rocket” up preparations for the first commercial space flights.

Virgin Galactic was founded by Billionaire Sir Richard Branson to bring paying customers into sub orbital flight for tourist purposes. It is also a goal of the company to use its plane, the Spaceship 2 for scientific missions and to launch small satellites.

Spaceport America, which is located in New Mexico opened up in October 2010 with huge ceremony to mark the inaugural landing on the facility’s first runway.

Passengers who want to get in on the action and fly to space will have to part with $200,000 for the trip and put down a $20,000. There are already more than 450 ticket holders who have booked and left their deposits.

Spacecraft 2 is carried by a twin bodied carrier plane called White Knight II. White Knight takes Spaceship 2 to a height of around 52,000 feet. At that point, Spaceship 2 separates and continues on until it reaches a sub orbital space. From the time the planes separate until it lands is about 3.5 hours. They are only in space for a very short period fraction of that time. Spaceship 2 reaches it maximum height for approximately 6 minutes. During this time the passengers can take off their harnesses and float through out the cabin.

It is unknown when Virgin Galactic will make its first flight, but as of know they are headed in the right direction.

Would you pay $200,000 to Virgin Galactic for 6 minutes of weightlessness?