Virgin Galactic has reopened space ticket sales using the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. But the ticket prices offered are more expensive, starting from USD 450,000 per seat.
Richard Branson’s company closed sales temporarily in December 2018, shortly after VSS Unity managed to reach sub-orbital heights for the first time. At the time, ticket prices were set at USD 250,000 per seat.
Virgin Galactic ticket sales reopened after the Unity 22 mission successfully brought four passengers to the edge of space on July 11th. Branson was also in flight to ensure the safety of the aircraft.
“Taking advantage of the surge in consumer demand following our Unity 22 flight, we are proud to announce the reopening of effective ticket sales starting today, starting with our Spacefarer community,” Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement. 6 /8 /2021).
"As we strive to bring the wonders of space to a broad global population, we are very excited to open the door to new industry and user experiences."
After the Unity 22 mission, Virgin Galactic plans to launch the next mission in September. The mission, dubbed Unity 23, will carry three members of the Italian Air Force and a research payload.
Virgin Galactic provides three options for prospective ticket buyers, namely buying one seat, buying multiple seats at once, or renting an airplane that can accommodate eight passengers. They also sell special packages for microgravity research and professional astronaut training at a ticket price of USD 600,000 per seat.
But owning hundreds of thousands of dollars alone will not guarantee potential buyers can immediately get a ticket. Colglazier says there are already 600 ticket holders waiting to be flown into space.
After that, it was the turn of 1,000 prospective buyers who had made a deposit of USD 1,000 to fly into space. Virgin Galactic itself will only begin commercial flights in 2022.
“The initial sale will be open to a list of key companies, featuring the Spacefarer Community, which, as promised, will get the first chance to book their place in space,” Virgin Galactic said.
"An extended priority register will be open to customers interested in booking upcoming space flights."
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