Branson Reveals Frequent Flyer Space Plan For Virgin Travelers

SPACE TOURISM

The rockets are based on the SpaceShipOne (seen here, on the left, after having been released from the White Knight) of designer Burt Rutan, which won the 10-million-dollar "X Prize" for sending a privately designed craft into space twice in two weeks.

Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 06, 2005
Virgin Airlines is to offer frequent-flyer "Space Miles" that passengers can put towards flights in space with the company's soon-to-be-launched Virgin Galactic, boss Richard Branson said Tuesday.

The British tycoon, in Hong Kong to promote new Virgin flights to the city, said customers who collected two million points would be entitled to be among the first commercial astronauts when his space plan takes off in two years.

"There are already 30 people in the world who have collected enough air miles to fly into space," Branson said.

"We do think there will be a lot of Virgin Atlantic people who will want to travel into space," he added.

Branson in July formed a company to build five aircraft that can each fly seven people beyond the atmosphere.

The rockets are based on the SpaceShipOne of designer Burt Rutan, which won the 10-million-dollar "X Prize" for sending a privately designed craft into space twice in two weeks.

The first flights are scheduled for 2008 and will cost 200,000 dollars.

The programme has so far cost the Virgin Group 250 million dollars to develop but Branson said some 40,000 people had already signed up to be the first paying passengers in space.

"We expect there will be hundreds of thousands of people who will want to fly into space in the next few years," he said.

Source: Agence France-Presse

SPACE TOURISM

Space Adventures Announces Japanese Entrepreneur As Next Private Space Explorer

Arlington VA (SPX) Nov 04, 2005
Space Adventures announced Thursday that Hong Kong resident and Japanese entrepreneur Daisuke Enomoto (Dice-K) will be the next private space explorer candidate.

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