Travel Tips

Virgin Galactic Launches SpaceShipTwo, Brings Space Tourism Closer

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwoSir Richard Branson will reveal the Virgin Galactic commercial spacecraft at the Mojave Air and Spaceport tonight, offering a glimpse of the first spaceship designed to carry private passengers.

The unveiling of SpaceShipTwo marks one small step for the future of space tourism, and one giant $200,000 leap for any passenger who wants on board.

Is the journey worth the hefty price tag? Keep reading for more details about this innovative voyage.

Last year, Branson and American designer Burt Rutan revealed the highly anticipated White Knight Two, the mother ship that will carry SpaceShipTwo to its launch altitude.

Tonight, space enthusiasts can feast their eyes on the sleek ship that will actually hold the six passengers and two pilots on their journey into space.

SpaceShipTwo’s cabin is 7.5 feet in diameter by 12 long with a slick, wavy interior reminiscent of an Apple product. More importantly, it’s dotted with several porthole windows to give travelers plenty of opportunities to gaze out into space.

Virgin's SpaceportThe passenger pod isn’t designed to launch from the ground, so the mother ship will carry it to 50,000 feet, at which point SpaceShipTwo will disengage and ignite its own rocket, accelerating to 2,600 mph.

Passengers will officially become space tourists at an altitude of 62.1 miles as they cross the boundary between earth’s upper atmosphere and space. Soon after, at 65 miles high, the private astronauts will experience weightlessness for about six minutes. During this period, they’ll be able to unfasten their seatbelts, float about from porthole to porthole and admire the Earth’s curvature against the backdrop of space, a sight previously reserved only for government astronauts.

At this point, SpaceShipTwo’s wings will “feather out” to optimize resistance, allowing it to fall back through the atmosphere like a shuttlecock. The wings will convert to “glider mode” at an altitude of about 13 miles to take the ship back home. The entire trip from takeoff to landing will last an estimated 2.5 hours.

Learn more: Mass Space Travel: Real Possibility or Ridiculous Pipe Dream?

Virgin Galactic logoThe next phase for Virgin Galactic is an extensive series of safety tests. Engineers hope to launch the SpaceShipTwo on a test run to its maximum altitude by 2011.

Branson is optimistic that his project will send thousands of people into space in the next few years. According to Virgin Galactic, more than 300 people have already reserved their spots.

Travel specialist group Virtuoso is the official sales channel for Virgin Galactic flights. Currently, there are three deposit options available: Founders, who will be on the first 100 commercial seats; Pioneers, comprised of 350-400 travelers who will fly within the first year of operation; and Voyagers, who will travel at a later date. And no, U.S. citizens do not need a visa to fly into space.

By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related links: Discovery News, Virgin Galactic

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