Branson says Kutcher is space line's 500th client (FLAGRANT REDUNDANCY ALERT)

Associated Press ^ | March 20, 2012 | SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN

[presidio9]

British billionaire Richard Branson said Monday his venture to launch paying tourists into space has netted its 500th customer, and it's none other than Ashton Kutcher.

Branson made the announcement on his blog, saying he gave the actor a quick call to congratulate him.

"He is as thrilled as we are at the prospect of being among the first to cross the final frontier (and back!) with us and to experience the magic of space for himself," Branson wrote.

A representative for Kutcher did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Kutcher is among dozens of Hollywood types, international entrepreneurs, scientists, space buffs and others who have made deposits to be among the first to reach the edge of the Earth on Branson's Virgin Galactic space line.

Branson has said the aim is to one day make traveling to space safe and affordable for the masses, not just those who can afford the current $200,000 ticket price.

Virgin Galactic is in the final stages of its test flight program. The company will launch its spacecraft from Spaceport America, a specially designed terminal and runway built in a remote stretch of desert in southern New Mexico.

The company plans to begin commercial operations next year. Branson said he and his children plan to be on the first commercial flight.

Christine Anderson, executive director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, congratulated Virgin Galactic on Monday for selling its 500th ticket. She said she's looking forward to "the beginning of the commercial passenger space line industry."

Virgin Galactic customers will ride in a six-seat spacecraft that looks like a small plane,

[Johnny B.]

I’d be willing to chip in a few bucks, so long as they promise not to bring him back.

[jiggyboy]

I suddenly find myself recalling with desperate hope the description of the “’B’ Ship” from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

[JRandomFreeper]

a specially designed terminal and runway built in a remote stretch of desert in southern New Mexico at the @$$ end of nowhere.

There, fixed it.

I used to drive by there on a regular basis.

/johnny

[Red Badger]

Ashton Kutcher has been in space for quite a while now............

[Carriage Hill]

Hopefully, all the libs will cross “the final frontier” and keep going... don’t come back!

[Lx]

I wonder if any of the customers realize the incredible risk they are taking. I'm sure it's much riskier than the shuttle was even though it never gets anywhere near the shuttle's height.

I would still ride both in a heartbeat though.

Here's a good read:

Wiki on SS2.

[presidio9]

Ashton Kutcher has been in space for quite a while now............

See: "FLAGRANT REDUNDANCY ALERT"

[Truth29]

This is a suborbital flight. If you’ve got the money, go for the real thing. The Russians will fly tourists to the ISS for several days for something like $20 million.

[Bitsy]

I’d be willing to chip in a few bucks, so long as they promise not to bring him back.

I have my own list of my favorite space travelers I would like to see take flight on a one way ticket. He wasn’t on it but Pelosi, Reid, Soros, and I could go on and on!

[stratboy]

I wish the president on Battlestar Galactica were on his flight. He’d get air locked for sure.

[af_vet_rr]

a specially designed terminal and runway built in a remote stretch of desert in southern New Mexico at the @$$ end of nowhere.

There, fixed it.

Although I confess to not having looked it up, but I have a feeling that the location was not necessarily picked because it was cheap land and a good climate for it. My gut says the insurance company or companies would not allow it near any heavily populated areas.

[af_vet_rr]

I wonder if any of the customers realize the incredible risk they are taking. I'm sure it's much riskier than the shuttle was even though it never gets anywhere near the shuttle's height. I would still ride both in a heartbeat though.

Early commercial aviation was very dangerous at times (as were the early space programs of the US and Soviet Union). Those early years had a lot of rich folks as well. Virgin Galactic is probably a lot safer. I would ride it in a heartbeat as well, and have thought about it.

I hope to be around long enough for the price to come down to under $100,000.

[JRandomFreeper]

Actually, it's cheap enough, and a good enough climate for that kind of stuff. Humidity certainly isn't a problem.

The only other use for that land that I can imagine is nuclear weapons testing, or radio telescopes.

/johnny

[Atlas Sneezed]

Anyone interested is this should consider the gozerog.com “Vomit Comet” ride. $5000 gets you a two hour flight with 20 half-minute weightless periods.

Astronauts train in it, and they filmed Apollo 13 in it.

[af_vet_rr]

I don’t disagree that the climate and price of land are factors, but I doubt the insurance companies, and maybe even the FAA, would allow them to have it closer to civilization.

[Lx]

That looks like a lot of fun when I’ve seen it on the Hitler channel. $5k for 20 1/2 minute weightless periods sounds reasonable since I think they’re using a KC-135 that was never converted to be used as a tanker or a 707 which is the same thing almost. Both are expensive to fly although they may have updated the plane.

I thought they got more than 30 seconds of weightlessness though. It must have been murder to film Apollo 13 like that.

[Atlas Sneezed]

This operation uses a 727.

It’s something like $250k to charter the whole plane for 2 hours. Which isn’t bad for a plane that flies maybe once a week.