Virgin Galactic set to start the spaceflights
Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. is finally set to start with the space tourism as company confirmed it would soon open commercial ticket sales, a significant milestone in the path toward consumer flights.
Customers can make an initial deposit of $150,000 when sales open to the general public Wednesday.
Virgin Galactic said in a statement.
Reservations will cost a total of $450,000 for a 90-minute spaceflight-the company said.
*Virgin Galactic tweet on space tourism
Our purpose at @VirginGalactic is to connect the world to the love, wonder and awe created by space travel. Explore our evolution at https://t.co/5UalYT7Hjb. pic.twitter.com/LMakGOaUjj
— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) February 15, 2022
“We plan to have our first 1,000 customers on board at the start of commercial service later this year, providing an incredibly strong foundation as we begin regular operations and scale our fleet,”
CEO Michael Colglazier said in the statement.
The announcement gives a needed boost to Virgin Galactic, which has sputtered in recent months.
It all started when the founder Richard Branson took a high-profile flight in July, the company said it would delay the start of commercial service to upgrade its space plane.
The company also ran afoul of U.S. regulators last year, forcing it to ground flights briefly.
