Virgin Galactic resumes spaceflight ticket sales, starting at $450,000 per seat

[Shawn Knight]

In context: Virgin Galactic has reopened ticket sales for the opportunity to fly aboard one of its craft to the edge of space. Tickets will be out of reach for many as pricing starts at nearly half a million dollars. With any luck, costs will come down over time, opening space travel up to more individuals.

Virgin Galactic as part of its second quarter 2021 financial report said private astronauts will have three packages to choose from: a single seat, a multi-seat option in which you can bring a friend or family member along and a full-flight buy out. Pricing starts at $450,000 per seat, and sales will initially be reserved for “early hand-raisers,” with Virgin Galactic prioritizing the spacefarer community.

The company further noted that the next rocket-powered spaceflight will take place in late September from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson participated in the company’s most recent spaceflight on July 11. Nine days later, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos hitched a ride to space via his spaceflight company, Blue Origin.

Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said during the company’s earnings call that they will take a break after the September flight in order to perform upgrades on VMS Eve, the jet-powered craft used during launches. Once complete, Virgin Galactic will conduct one final test flight before commercial missions resume with Unity 25 in the third quarter of 2022.

Virgin Galactic shares are up more than six percent on the news, trading at $33.58 as of this writing.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/90697-virgin-galactic-resumes-spaceflight-ticket-sales-starting-450000.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I think you mean "NEAR - space".

We the Jedi Counsel do not grant you the rank of "astronaut".

 

[Shadowboxer]

Where are all the people who continually hurl abuse at Nvidia for selling graphics cards over $1000? This is a much much bigger rip off. Both graphics cards and space flights are complete luxuries that nobody needs but Virgin are charging a lot more than most people can afford and this is what seems to upset people about Nvidia?

“Virgin you evil anti consumer scum, people should have access to your luxury product that nobody needs for less!”

 

[stewi0001]

Compared to this, Disney's Galactic Starcruiser is down right cheap! XD

 

[Lionvibez]

450k to be weight less for 10 mins hard pass.

 

[DukeJukem]

So....basically 450k to ride in a plane in the shape of a penis just so you can look out the window to see nothing but darkness. Lol?

 

[RudyBob]

I'd go if.....___________

 

[captaincranky]

Ya gotta admit, Lord Bleachblonde's prices are a lot cheaper than Lex Luthor's. (28 million).

 

[Bawlsdeep]

They don't offer spaceflight, only high altitute flight

What does Bezoz charge?

 

[defaultluser]

And 6 months turnaround time after this fight doesn't give me any hope for them ever upping that launch cadence; can't see them being profitable until that happens.

 

[mbrowne5061]

Where are all the people who continually hurl abuse at Nvidia for selling graphics cards over $1000? This is a much much bigger rip off. Both graphics cards and space flights are complete luxuries that nobody needs but Virgin are charging a lot more than most people can afford and this is what seems to upset people about Nvidia?

“Virgin you evil anti consumer scum, people should have access to your luxury product that nobody needs for less!”

Write better bait.

 

[fsalvado]

"a fool and his money...."

 

[Bl00dyMinded]

So....basically 450k to ride in a plane in the shape of a penis just so you can look out the window to see nothing but darkness. Lol?

LOL I got the joke. But wrong aircraft. The penis looking one is the Blue Origin one. This one didn't even make it to space.

 

[captaincranky]

So....basically 450k to ride in a plane in the shape of a penis just so you can look out the window to see nothing but darkness. Lol?

Yes but, if you shine a light out the porthole, you'll see that it's actually pink.

 

[captaincranky]

They don't offer spaceflight, only high altitute flight

What does Bezoz charge?

He put up the flight for bid, and got 28 million dollars. Mot to mention the guy that bid on it had, "something to do that day", so he gave the seat away.

BTW, have you been playing PUBG ot on a ventilator for the last month or so?

 

[Bawlsdeep]

He put up the flight for bid, and got 28 million dollars. Mot to mention the guy that bid on it had, "something to do that day", so he gave the seat away.

BTW, have you been playing PUBG ot on a ventilator for the last month or so?

He did not give anything "away" his son wanted the seat from the beginning obviously, how naive can you be

Do you think he paid 28 million dollars, won and THEN FOUND SOMEONE WHO WANTED THE SEAT?

 

[captaincranky]

He did not give anything "away" his son wanted the seat from the beginning obviously, how naive can you be

Do you think he paid 28 million dollars, won and THEN FOUND SOMEONE WHO WANTED THE SEAT?

Maybe I should drop him a line and ask him to adopt me..
I have a sob story all lined up, "I've been in an orphanage fo more than 70 years".

BTW, you were the one asking how much Mr. Luthor was charging, not me. I could care less. I dunno if that makes me "naive", or just plain disinterested.
The man said he, "had a previous commitment". Was he blowing smoke up reporters butts? Again, don't know, don't care.

AFAIK, he hasn't announced commercial flight prices as of yet.

 

[captaincranky]

I think you mean "SOMEWHERE NEAR - space".

Fixed...

 

[DrSuess]

He put up the flight for bid, and got 28 million dollars. Mot to mention the guy that bid on it had, "something to do that day", so he gave the seat away.

BTW, have you been playing PUBG ot on a ventilator for the last month or so?

The guy that had something to do that day chickened out. He didn't want to be the first one to ride Jeff Bezos giant rocket penis into space.

 

[captaincranky]

The guy that had something to do that day chickened out. He didn't want to be the first one to ride Jeff Bezos giant rocket penis into space.

A: The "correct" term is, "Dildocket".
B: Would you want to be "first"? No.
C: He didn't want anybody to know how thoroughly he was spoiling his kid.
D: All of the above.

 

[Danny101]

Rich people frolicking and flashing the world about their status. Nothing new under the sun.

 

[captaincranky]

Rich people frolicking and flashing the world about the status. Nothing new under the sun.

Wow, you got that right. NASA did the same thing with a chimp 60 years ago.

 

[captaincranky]

Some of you geeks in the audience night enjoy reading about the guidance computer for the Apollo moon missions.

Apollo Guidance Computer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

FWIW, an Atari 800 had a lot more ballz than this thing, and a Commodore 128 would crush it

And yes, while it's true that it required servo interface drivers, (what today we would call "robotics"), for the flight controls, I'm fairly confident in saying it wouldn't even load one of today's web pages, were it so tasked.

 

[JamesBlond]

This planet has many problems and one of them is people who want to spend 450k going on a flight like this, you feel good you get your mental orgasm, and then its over, fall asleep... while millions die because of starvation... great job virgin

 

[Ravey]

I've seen a few posts among friends these past few days pointing out that the money spent on just one ticket for this space ride would be enough to provide food and a home for the homeless in the uk.

I wanted to point out that many of the people taking these flights probably give a lot to charity already but I still feel like it puts things into perspective. One space ticket could save a person from poverty and homelessness.