Virgin Galactic Spaceship Unveiled

Richard Branson has unveiled the design for his rocket powered ship that will give you 6 minutes in space for a cool £100 000.

Hopefully this will be popular enough over time to make it affordable to the masses, although I wonder how many people would trade two weeks in the sun for just a 6 minute holiday?



news.bbc.co.uk...

www.virgingalactic.com...

I like Sir Richard's style - top-drawer. Awesome website. Tremendous production values - state of the art.

I'd go in a heart-beat. I'd trade anything just to pass the physical and plunk down the coin to get off this rock for that view if even for only an ephemeral experience. Way cooler than Concorde that's for sure - and Concorde was pretty darn cool.

Victor K.

Hopefully this will be popular enough over time to make it affordable to the masses, although I wonder how many people would trade two weeks in the sun for just a 6 minute holiday?

A lot of people, trust me. Single middle aged nerd types with cushy jobs and low expenses will be jumping all over this. They definately have the capital to go multipoe times Baby boomers(uppermiddle class ones at least) will be going up if they pass the physical. Some people will go so far as to remortgage their house for a chance at a trip up to even sub-orbit. The Multi-millionaires and billionaires like Tito and that Iranian chick who went up are likely going to wait until the orbital version is finished and the Bigalo resort is taking customers before they stop going to the Russians for everythign.

About 100 years ago, the automobile was a toy, a rich man's plaything.

Now millions own at least one car.

Perhaps it is little more than Sir Richard's skill at showmanship, but perhaps it is more. Perhaps it is the recognition of the power of an idea, its manifestation, whose time has finally come.

Watching the movie clip, I was transported back to those marvelous days gone past when my dad was alive and actually working in the aerospace industry; racing the world to the Moon! I was remembering the Pan Am Clippership from "2001:A Space Odessy", sailing majestically through velvet black space to the strains of The Blue Danube waltz.

And yes, I'm remembering Star Trek, the original series, cheesy sets and cheesier acting included, but not as important to me as the Vision being represented; The Future is in Space, and the future can be... Good!

That video, by luck or by design, has brought these memories back to me; and so help me, despite the disappointment and cynicism that life in these times can engender, I'm having that most wonderful dream again.

I am dreaming of Space. I'm dreaming that I could be a part of that future, again.

Please, let me have my Dream.

Wow...the video on the site is really inspiring, though weird to see...space, no longer limited to the few elected by governments.

I must say that I love heights, and experiencing space, even for 6 minutes would be worth my money...
The moon is next on my list...then maybe Mars, if I live long enough...

I thought the site was cool too. The opening "roll" has lens-flares just like NASA! The logo reminded me of some sort of... well something like an iris or "All-Seeing Eye"... no "Big Black Triangles" tho'.

Hey wouldn't "The Ride" make a great multi-monitor flight game... bet they already have something cooking seeing's-how an MS biggie was on-board with Scaled-Composites from early-on. That'd be cool for those of us who'll have to wait for A-G tech for physical reasons... oh, what I'd give to go over the 'top" let alone orbital.

Governor Richardson's Spaceport USA promises to be a busy place.

Victor K.

Allready a thread on this:

SpaceshipTwo

I posted a link to the full animated video on the site ^above^. (the animated part is over 7 minues long!) its better then BBC's smaller edited one.

Interesting, the trip will be a lot cheaper for customers then I was expecting. I bet bus loads of millionairs will be taking the trip every week! Then just maybe it will get a lot cheaper, like cost only $10, 000 ten years later. I still wouldn't pay that much for it though but atleast it will be a good price for the masses in another 10 years or so after that.