Virgin Galactic flew its first full crew flight on Sunday, enabling Richard Branson to beat Jeff Bezos in the race to reach space.
Elon Musk, who went to New Mexico in support of Branson, has paid a R144 000 deposit to secure a seat on a future Virgin Galactic trip. Branson told The Sunday Times that the date has not been set yet.
Virgin Galactic aims to begin flying tourists to the edge of space in 2022.
“Elon’s a friend and maybe I’ll travel on one of his ships one day,” the 70-year-old said.
A Virgin Galactic spokesperson confirmed Musk’s purchase but didn’t say how high Musk was on the waiting list.
A ticket for a one-hour trip on the Virgin Galactic space plane costs $250 000 – this also includes training and a spacesuit. About 600 people from 58 countries have already reserved a ticket on VVS Unity, this includes celebrities such as Tom Hanks, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.
Sources: Business Insider, Forbes
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