Air and Space: Will Space Tourists Finally Get a Ride?

Air and Space: Will Space Tourists Finally Get a Ride?

By Joe Pappalardo

Spaceport America is the place where future spaceflights with Virgin Galactic will take off - for $250,000 each. In the middle of the New Mexico desert, Richard Branson's company has been promising space tourism for years. They now have former test pilots and NASA astronauts for pilots, and two spaceships to make it work. A WhiteKnightTwo carrier plane a SpaceShipTwo passenger plane are going through final tests. The first official flight is expected to take off next June.

    For the hefty price, there is also a great deal of hospitality. A lounge is situated just off the run way where families can watch Future Astronauts (the rich people who get to ride) take off. Afterward, they will meet in here for celebratory champagne. The whole flight will take under 2 hours, with 5 minutes spent weightlessly in space.