Keen on a quick space trip, but can’t afford the $200,000 that Virgin Galactic wants for a seat? A cheaper alternative offers the same kind of thrills for less than half the price — and you even get to fly the spaceship.
Space Expedition Curacao is offering suborbital flights for the cut price figure of $95,000 — that’s cut-price compared to the $200,000 that a Virgin Galactic flight will cost you, unless you happen to be the pilot. In the case of the Lynx spaceship, there’s only room for two, so you are the co-pilot. In theory, this type of flight could get you from Sydney to London in around two hours — if your stomach can handle the free-fall, that is.
Anyone not feeling nervous about this proposition may want to hurry; Space Expedition Curacao’s website notes that it’s only offering up an initial 100 places, and 35 of those have already gone according to the UK Telegraph. [Space Expedition Curacao via Telegraph via news.com.au]
Joel
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 2:15 PMIs that like the Tiger Airways for space travel? I’ll pass lol
Paul Cahill
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 2:27 PMHow much carbon/airport tax do the super rich pay or is Branson exempt from such things?
TSH
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 3:12 PMIt’s all just passed on to the consumer. Consider the world saved!
Dan
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 3:22 PMPrivate space travel is really where the cash is for NASA if they hope to survive and ever matter again now that they don’t have a spacecraft. Like an airline company without a plane.
Ozoneocean
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 3:31 PMAt $200,000 a person? Are you joking? NASA would die on pocket change like that.
REAL space technology (not tourist sub-orbital joke flights) costs serious cash. The goal of going commercial is not to get tourists to pay subsidise costs, it’s for the commercial providers to LOWER operating costs through competition on real space tech projects- passenger joy-flights.
Ozoneocean
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 3:33 PMHahaha, I mean- NOT passenger joy-flights.
-rather, the heavy lift, low and high orbital stuff that’s considerably more difficult and expensive.
EckyThump
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 3:42 PMDefinitely not a good idea to fly budget space, it’s bad enough flying cattle class flights to anywhere, let alone flying in something that is literally flying on a wing and a prayer! #]
EckyThump
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 3:45 PMMind you, having said that,… if someone bought me a ticket….!! #]
Nathan
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 3:56 PMPunching holes in the Ozone Layer FTW!!!
Zakalwe
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 4:38 PMGoing to space in what looks like a Reliant Robin… Hmm…