Virgin Galactic is opening up ticket sales once again to the general public starting on 16 February 2022 (US time). The aerospace company marked the occasion releasing fresh branding ahead of the start of commercial operations, earmarked for later this year.
As previously flagged by LATTE, the latest tranche of tickets will set budding astronauts back at US$450,000 (about AU$630,000). That’s after an initial outlay of US$150,000 for the deposit.
“At Virgin Galactic, we believe that space is transformational,” said Michael Colglazier, CEO Virgin Galactic. “We plan to have our first 1,000 customers on board at the start of commercial service later this year, providing an incredibly strong foundation as we begin regular operations and scale our fleet.”
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Virgin Galactic spaceflight reservations also provide access to the Future Astronaut membership community. Members will enjoy access to money-can’t-buy experiences, events, trips and space-readiness activities while they await their spaceflight.
The experience includes a 90-minute journey from Spaceport America attached to Mothership Eve, and the Mach-3 boost to space. The spaceship gracefully flips while astronauts enjoy several minutes of out-of-seat weightlessness and views of Earth from the spaceship’s 17 windows.
To mark the launch of public sales, Virgin Galactic unveiled a new consumer brand featuring the spacecraft that the company says is “designed to capture the love, wonder and awe of the experience of viewing Earth from space”.
“We have developed a compelling and effective sales process to support the growth of our commercial business,” said newly-appointed Blair Rich, President and Chief Business Officer, Commercial and Consumer Operations. “A global, commercial spaceline demands an iconic and timeless brand. It is important that our brand represents our dynamic customer offering, and speaks to our unique experience, style and service.”