Photo: Virgin Galactic via Twitter
After the historical journey of billionaire Richard Branson to the edge of space, his company, Virgin Galactic, is once again selling tickets for commercial space flights. This time, the price for a 50 miles (80 kilometers) high trip went to $450,000.
Tickets were first offered up for $250,000 before sales were halted in December 2018. By then, enough people booked a seat to fly to the edge of space with Virgin Galactic – 600 to be precise. Now, a few weeks after the company's billionaire founder, Richard Branson went on the first commercial space flight, the sales were reopened.
But the price for one seat almost doubled. The announcement was made on August 5th, when Virgin Galactic also stated its financial results for the second quarter of the year.
"As we endeavor to bring the wonder of space to a broad global population, we are delighted to open the door to an entirely new industry, and consumer experience," Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement on Thursday.
Now the company is giving customers three options to choose from: a single seat, a multi-seat for couples, friends, or a family, and a full-flight buy out. As you might've guessed, each of these alternatives starts at $450,000. The cost of microgravity research and astronaut training is still $600,000 per seat. Who said going to space was going to be cheap?
Virgin Galactic also announced that Unity 23, Virgin Galactic's next rocket-powered spaceflight, will launch from Spaceport America, New Mexico, in late September. This flight will be a revenue-generating flight with the Italian Air Force.
Following that flight, the company will focus on its jet-powered carrier aircraft VMS Eve, according to CNBC. It will transport it to Virgin Galactic's manufacturing company, The Spaceship Company, where it will be part of an "enhancement" program. The program will run until 2022, delaying Virgin Galactic's plans to begin commercial flights.
But the price for one seat almost doubled. The announcement was made on August 5th, when Virgin Galactic also stated its financial results for the second quarter of the year.
"As we endeavor to bring the wonder of space to a broad global population, we are delighted to open the door to an entirely new industry, and consumer experience," Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement on Thursday.
Now the company is giving customers three options to choose from: a single seat, a multi-seat for couples, friends, or a family, and a full-flight buy out. As you might've guessed, each of these alternatives starts at $450,000. The cost of microgravity research and astronaut training is still $600,000 per seat. Who said going to space was going to be cheap?
Virgin Galactic also announced that Unity 23, Virgin Galactic's next rocket-powered spaceflight, will launch from Spaceport America, New Mexico, in late September. This flight will be a revenue-generating flight with the Italian Air Force.
Following that flight, the company will focus on its jet-powered carrier aircraft VMS Eve, according to CNBC. It will transport it to Virgin Galactic's manufacturing company, The Spaceship Company, where it will be part of an "enhancement" program. The program will run until 2022, delaying Virgin Galactic's plans to begin commercial flights.
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