Today, you’re flying in a charter jet to Stockholm. With any luck, tomorrow your destination could be the moon. While we’re not there yet, private companies are working furiously to begin a new space tourism industry that could offer you travel opportunities which are (quite literally) out of this world.
Recently, Virgin Galactic, one of several private companies hoping to break into the emerging space tourism industry, conducted its first manned flight over 45,000 feet above the earth’s surface. While this is only a start, it holds a great deal of promise for people hoping to one day fly into space.
So much hope, as a matter of fact, that many are already shelling out the $20,000 it takes to put a deposit down on a space tourism flight. That’s right, 20 grand is just the deposit. The flight itself is expected to cost in the neighborhood of $200,000 (and you thought a charter jet was pricey).
Of course, while most people don’t have 200 grand sitting around for a vacation, you have to consider that this is really a once in a lifetime opportunity. We mean, really, who hasn’t dreamt of flying into space? And to think that it might be a real possibility in the next couple of years.
What’s more, the deposit (which is actually refundable) allows you a great deal of access to the workings of Virgin Galactic, including involvement in media events, tours of the research and manufacturing facilities, and VIP invitations to locations such as:
- The Caribbean Islands. Virgin Galactic holds astronaut forums there at the home of Sir Richard Branson.
- South Africa. We’re not sure what it has to do with traveling to space, but being invited to a South African game reserve is certainly not a bad little perk.
- Scaled Composites. The site where much of the R&D is done is available to you at times.
Of course, when you are invited to one of the VIP events, you’ll want to take a charter jet. It just wouldn’t look quite right flying coach to go to an astronaut meeting regarding your impending vacation to outer space.
