A spacecraft intended to fly well-off tourists into space by 2011 was made public on Monday, with hopes that it would mark the commencement of aviation history’s new era.
The SpaceShipTwo is the first ever commercial passenger spacecraft long awaited by many. The project is funded by Sir Richard Branson, a British billionaire who founded Virgin Galactic, working in partnership with Burt Rutan, a prominent aviation designer and also the brain behind this venture.
“We want this program to be a whole new beginning in a commercial era of space travel”, said Branson, who expects the flights to start by 2011.
The spacecraft was derived from a prototype known as SpaceShipOne, which has been designed by Rutan. It was in 2004 when SpaceShipOne bagged the Ansari X Prize worth $10 million as it was the first privately piloted spacecraft to have reached space.
According to the company building the craft, more or less 300 clients have already paid for a ticket worth $200,000 or have placed a deposit.
“NASA spent billions upon billions of dollars on space travel and has only managed to send 480 people,” said Branson. “We're literally hoping to send thousands of people into space over the next couple of years. We want to make sure that we build a spaceship that is 100 percent safe.”
SpaceShipTwo is created from lightweight complex materials, with a hybrid rocket motor to power it up. It measures about 60 feet long and can accommodate two pilots and six passengers.
Virgin Galactic estimates an expense of over $400 million for the construction of five more commercial spaceships in the future.
The SpaceShipTwo is the first ever commercial passenger spacecraft long awaited by many. The project is funded by Sir Richard Branson, a British billionaire who founded Virgin Galactic, working in partnership with Burt Rutan, a prominent aviation designer and also the brain behind this venture.
“We want this program to be a whole new beginning in a commercial era of space travel”, said Branson, who expects the flights to start by 2011.
The spacecraft was derived from a prototype known as SpaceShipOne, which has been designed by Rutan. It was in 2004 when SpaceShipOne bagged the Ansari X Prize worth $10 million as it was the first privately piloted spacecraft to have reached space.
According to the company building the craft, more or less 300 clients have already paid for a ticket worth $200,000 or have placed a deposit.
“NASA spent billions upon billions of dollars on space travel and has only managed to send 480 people,” said Branson. “We're literally hoping to send thousands of people into space over the next couple of years. We want to make sure that we build a spaceship that is 100 percent safe.”
SpaceShipTwo is created from lightweight complex materials, with a hybrid rocket motor to power it up. It measures about 60 feet long and can accommodate two pilots and six passengers.
Virgin Galactic estimates an expense of over $400 million for the construction of five more commercial spaceships in the future.
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