Virgin Galactic, the pioneering space tourism company founded by Sir Richard Branson, has reopened ticket sales for flights aboard its VSS Unity suborbital spacecraft. New customers will pay significantly more—$450,000—for a few minutes of weightlessness, with wait times likely extending into the future.
Prospective space tourists eyeing a Virgin Galactic flight to the edge of space—over 80 km altitude for about four minutes of breathtaking Earth views and cosmic darkness—may regret not booking seven years ago. The company just announced new sales at a starting price of $450,000, up from $200,000 in 2014.
Sales halted after the tragic 2014 SpaceShipTwo crash in the Mojave Desert, where one pilot died and another was critically injured.
To demonstrate confidence in the vehicle's safety, Sir Richard Branson joined three colleagues on the successful Unity 22 mission on July 11—a pivotal test flight clearing the path for paying passengers.
The next flight, Unity 23, is slated for late September carrying scientific payloads and three Italian Air Force members. Research missions like this will cost $600,000. New buyers at $450,000+ must queue behind over 600 pre-sold 2014 tickets (expected to fly by 2022/2023) and about 1,000 depositors who've paid $1,000 each.
Despite the premium price and delays, CEO Michael Colglazier anticipates strong demand: "We believe this experience is so unique and fascinating that it will lead to multiple repeat experiences with friends and family in multiple spaceports around the world."
