The Cost For A 2.5 Hour Vacation In Space: $200,000

Wow, would you spend $200,000 for 2.5 hours in space? Leave it to Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic to start selling tickets for space travel. Right now, the tickets, which you can preorder directly from Virgin Galactic, are $200,000. However, according to Richard, in about ten years, an ordinary person like you or me will be able to afford to take a little vacation into space.

Wow, it’s truly happening! This is such a monumental event, and I can’t wait to be able to experience it at some point in my lifetime. Even on the booking form, it gives you the option to contact a trained space agent (instead of a travel agent). I’m surprised that this trip only entails flying 62 miles up. It seems like it would be further up than that to me. Currently, this space travel will take place aboard the SpaceShipTwo and it includes five minutes of weightlessness. What about barf bags? They will have those available, although apparently it’s a surprisingly smooth ride.

What about the mile-high club, or in this case, the space-high club? According to dvice, Richard has confirmed that one couple has already bought tickets to fly into space together so they can be the first couple ever to officially join that club. Aww… how romantic. He says, “There are no rules in space.”

So far, more than 340 people have booked this flight. You only have to pay a $20,000 deposit to reserve your seat. 100 of those people have already paid the full $200,000 to ensure they will be one of the first ones. Would you pay that much for a couple hours in space? Would it be worth it to you? With the state the world is in right now, even if I had that much disposable income, I don’t think I could do it with a good conscience. However, in ten years from now when the cost is one third what it is now… Hell yes! The inaugural flights will begin in 9-18 months.

[via dvice]