Richard Branson, Britain's best-known entrepreneur and part-time daredevil, plans to launch the world's first passenger service to space in 2010, offering zero-gravity flights for $198,600.
Branson, whose Virgin empire stretches from planes and trains to vodka, music and personal finance, is teaming up with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to build five, fish-shaped capsules for the two-to-three hour flights.
Virgin Galactic will be the latest offshoot of Branson's business empire, which started in mail-order recorded music in the 1970s. It will invest $100 million in ground infrastructure and spacecraft capable of carrying five passengers.
+ Read Article (Reuters)
Posted by jburk at September 27, 2026 10:11 AM | TrackBackWell even at the 200K, people still will not be lining up in droves but it is definately getting closer.
When will Nasa and all the really big aerospace builds get the message and start lowering cost to space for all.
Assuming all goes to plan, Branson deserves high praise, success, and support in this visionary move. No longer the preserve of engineers and fanatics, finally people with serious money are developing commercial manned spaceflight. Fantastic news.
Posted by: David at September 27, 2026 05:59 PMHas anyone heard the rumor that Donald Trump is interested in merging with Branson to put up a hotel in orbit ??Jake
Posted by: jake at September 28, 2026 04:58 AM"When will Nasa and all the really big aerospace builds get the message and start lowering cost to space for all"
About the same time the US Air Force starts selling tickets for rides on a B-2 bomber etc.
In other words, that isn't the business that NASA is in. NASA is dedicated to, or is supposed to be dedicated to, exploration not civilian transportation. The offshoots of what NASA’s work does however find it way into civilian transport, we all benefit from NASA's work every time we fly on a civilian airliner. Or even when our packages etc. are transported by air.
And when big aerospace sees a need, and a profit to be made, they’ll also jump in. Meanwhile the smaller entrepreneurs are doing fine, as has usually been the case with new ventures like this.
I don’t particularly care to see NASA or other government agencies involved in this type activity; I prefer that they just stay out of Rutan’s (and others) way. Which they’ve done so far.
The future of private space travel is looking up; I see no reason to complain at the moment.
HI....CONRATULATIONS TO SPACESHIP ONE !!!!MAYBE THIS TIME AROUND THE US SPACE PROGRAM CAN GET IT RIGHT AND I BELIEVE THEY (NASA) ARE ON TRACK.IT TOOK 7 YEARS TO BUILD THE LUNAR MODULE FROM A SMALL WOOD AND WIRE DESK-TOP MODEL TO THE MAGNIFICENT MACHINE IT BECAME...7 YEARS FROM NOW I BELIEVE ,WE WILL SEE THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE " CEV " SO I FEEL THINGS ARE GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN MORE-SO THAN I DID BEFORE...JUST A FINAL NOTE HERE,I THINK NASA SHOULD DEVISE A CONTEST TO NAME THE " CEV " SHIP BEFORE IT IS BUILT TO GET THE PUBLIC INVOLVED.A NAME IS IMPORTANT AS TO HAVE A MIND SET FOR FOR THE CRAFT THAT IS GOING TO TAKE US TO THE MOON AND BEYOND...A PRIZE FOR THAT COULD BE A SCHOLARSHIP TO ANY COLLEGE THE WINNER WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND OR SOMETHING SIMILAR..ITS DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.....JAKE
Posted by: jake at October 6, 2026 05:44 AM