600 people booked a $250,000 ticket to travel with Virgin Galactic

[ad_1]

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson is expected to travel to the edge of space on Sunday. Nearly 600 people – including celebrities – have booked tickets worth $250,000 for future trips. Another 1,000 people made deposits when ticket sales resumed after Branson’s flight. Something is loading.

While Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos claim they’re not in a race to be the first billionaire in space, a long list of billionaires aims to be among the first-list listeners to travel to the edge of infinity.

According to company files, nearly 600 people from 58 countries have booked tickets worth up to $250,000 to be among the first waves of space tourists. The list is widely believed to include celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Russell Brand, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Ashton Kutcher.

The number of actual reservations has remained relatively constant since 2014 when SpaceShipTwo crashed in the Mojave Desert, injuring the pilot and killing the co-pilot. According to Reuters, some ticket holders have been waiting more than 15 years to make their flights.

In February of last year, the company launched a campaign that pulled another 1,000 sign-ups — this time to deposit a refundable $1,000 toward the full ticket price when sales reopen after Branson’s flight on Sunday.

Virgin Galactic estimates the value of the deposits at $80 million, and former CEO George Whitesides told Insider he expects space tourism to eventually attract $10-15 billion annually.

Virgin Galactic Spaceport America. News agency

The company says it aims to launch up to 400 flights annually, carrying up to six passengers and two pilots each, departing and landing at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Lest you find a quarter-million-dollar ticket a bit pricey for just a few minutes of zero gravity, the Spaceport offers more than the usual amenities in the departure lounge. In the “Space Gateway,” which opened in 2019, future astronauts will be able to bring their families with pilots and rocket engineers around the Italian marble “Barista Island.”

Additionally, ticket purchases include custom-designed Under Armor flight suits featuring name badges and national flags, as well as a two-day flight training program with classroom instruction and centrifuge simulators.

There’s also mountain biking and outdoor New Mexico hot air balloon rides for the adventurous ride, so why not?

[ad_2]