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"Virgin Galactic"

[URL]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3693020.stm[/URL]

Even though I know how easily technology fails (the new train has already had a hiccup) I would love to be on this maiden voyage. It will travel high enough to show the earths curve and you will be weigthless for approx. 5 minutes.

Its a snip at approx. £115.000.00 but I haven't quite got that lying around. So c'mon people give me your donations, start to tear the sofa apart for the loose change, sell your mother, sister, hell even your grandmother if it will help :)

cookie monster wrote:
> You can bet the Make A Wish Foundation will be campaigning even more
> furiously to send terminally ill kids on one of those trips.

And while they're up there they can shove them out the airlock to save some wasted effort back on Earth.

Yeah, I was going on about the point instead of comma - £115 would be an absolute bargain if that were the case. I don't think it'll be a massive commercial sucess though - with alltypes of travel you pay for you're getting somewhere - but just like a ride, it's an experience, but something that you won't do often.

I must have misheard him on the radio the other night and I didn't read all the details on the link I posted (yes, naughty) but it seems your right. Taking a stewardess - wonder if its too late for a career change.

Taking just 5 passengers up would make the maiden voyage even more of a unique opportunity.

Ineedsleep wrote:
> You have to bear in mind that the ship will carry 3000 passengers

Doesn't it say the craft will only carry 8 in total - 2 Pilots, 5 passengers and a steward/ess?

You can bet the Make A Wish Foundation will be campaigning even more furiously to send terminally ill kids on one of those trips.

Can you imagine the pub talk?

Casual acqaintance: I've not seen you in here for a while
Me: I've been away.
Them: Anywhere nice?
Me: Nope, just a quick round trip of the VSS Enterprise.

lcarus wrote:
> Ineedsleep wrote:
>
> Its a snip at approx. £115.000.00 but I haven't quite got that
> lying around.
>
> That's quite cheap for a space trip. Unless you're using a foreign
> currecny system??

I don't think 115K is cheap. I certainly cant afford it:) I know what you mean really but that is the figure being mentioned for the maiden voyage. You have to bear in mind that the ship will carry 3000 passengers which means that they will have a gross return of 345.000.000 pounds sterling. Eventually they are hoping that the cost of the flight comes down to that equal to an expensive holiday.

The ship has already had its second successful launch, I believe, and I think it gets another test on Monday.

It would beat any other thrill ride anyday.

Virgin don't just do rail travel :P

I can imagine the maiden voyage:

"Sorry, all Galactic Train travel cancelled due to leaves on the moon."

Also, wouldn't they run out of track?

Ineedsleep wrote:

> Its a snip at approx. £115.000.00 but I haven't quite got that
> lying around.

That's quite cheap for a space trip. Unless you're using a foreign currecny system??