Virgin Galactic raises ticket prices for four-minute flight on spaceplane-Technology News, Firstpost

New York TimesAugust 8, 2021 16:27:16 IST

If you wanted to buy a ticket to space on one of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceplanes, you probably want to buy it seven years ago.

On Thursday, Virgin Galactic announced that it would resume selling tickets for flights over 50 miles, offering about four minutes of free fall and a view of the Earth against the darkness of space.

Price: At least $ 450,000 per seat.

That’s about $ 200,000 more than the company charged in 2014 after the crash of its first spaceplane, VSS Enterprise, during a test flight and before it stopped selling. About 600 people have tickets for previous sales rounds.

Also, if you haven’t already deposited a $ 1,000 refundable deposit, you’ll have to wait longer. Virgin Galactic will make tickets available to 1,000 people who can book spots on the waiting list first when ticket sales resume.

Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, has confirmed in a phone call with industry analysts that the company has announced quarterly results, and higher prices will lead to higher profits and please shareholders. But he said the trip to space still “provides great value to those who experience this journey with us to recommend it.”

Tickets for previous customers are now relatively affordable, but they have been waiting for years longer than expected. Branson has repeatedly said over the years that commercial flights will soon begin.

Branson founded Virgin Galactic in 2004 and initially expected commercial flight to begin by 2008. However, the development of rocket-powered aircraft turned out to be much more difficult and slower than planned. Branson finally got his flight in July as one of six on a test flight.

The next flight is scheduled for late September. It’s still a test flight, but it will carry paid customers — the Italian Air Force purchased a flight for two of its researchers to carry out experiments.

Virgin Galactic will suspend operations for a spaceplane named VSS Unity and an upgrade to a carrier plane that will take off from the ground to an altitude of approximately 45,000 feet before being released for a short flight into space.

In mid-2022, Virgin Galactic plans another test flight to confirm the upgrade and then go into commercial operation, according to Colglazier. From there, Virgin Galactic hopes to increase the pace of flight with the launch of additional spacecraft.

Even at very high prices, Colglazier said he was expecting repeaters. “This experience is so unique and compelling that we believe it will facilitate multiple repetitive experiences with friends and family in multiple spaceports around the world,” he said.

Blue Origin, a rocket company founded in the orbital space travel market by Jeff Bezos and Virgin Galactic competitors, has recently been launched like a rocket rather than an airplane, and a slightly higher ticket for the New Shepard spacecraft. Now on sale. Over 62 miles. On its first flight with Bezos, Blue Origin auctioned a seat for $ 28 million and donated it to Bezos’ space-focused charity, Club for the Future.

Blue Origin has begun selling seats to those who participated in the auction, but has not disclosed the current ticket price or the number of people who bought the ticket.

Kenneth Chan c.2021 The New York Times Company

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