Back in 2012 , I catch a sign outside of a travel means in Western Australia that filled my cold , black gist with glee . It was an ad for Virgin Galactic , with the imply promise that if I step inside that room access , I could buy a flight of steps to quad from an “ credit space factor . ”
I knew there was no way I could give it , but just assure that house made me feel — however briefly — like I was living in the future . For those of us living here in the second decade of the 21st century , commercial space travel still usually feels like it ’s light years away .
Last week we reckon at the many times thatTerrafugiahas promised that its flying auto was nearly quick for public cut-rate sale . It seems only fair that we take a look at another company that ’s promising one of those recurrent dream of the future tense — and not yet delivering : Virgin Galactic .
Richard Branson has pass over a decennium insisting that he ’s just a few year away from bring home the bacon regular commercial spaceflights . And we all want so disadvantageously to believe that these flying are truly just over the apparent horizon . The caller is still happy to take your money for harbour your daub in line . But Virgin Galactic has quite a few technical and regulatory hurdle to jump over before they can make this particularJetsonian dreama reality .
Below we ’ve hoard just a few samples of those commercial-grade blank travel promises . We ’re still rooting for you Richard — but we have to keep our expectations in check , if only because we ca n’t keep getting our hearts broken . Smithsonianmagazine took a standardized look back in 2013 , but it ’s time to update the inclination of broken dreams .
1999
“ Virgin employee have been researching the feasibleness of offering space flights for about $ 100,000 each , as presently as 2009 , [ Virgin Atlantic spokesman , Paul ] Moore enounce . He added that securities industry research advise that as many as 200,000 hoi polloi — wealthy infant boomers who saw Neil Armstrong walk on the lunation 30 class ago — would be willing to bear tens of M of dollars to have infinite locomotion . ” [ May 19 , 1999 Bloomberg News ]
“ Richard Branson , ruler of the Virgin empire , is plan a hotel in space and has record a company , Virgin Galactic Airways , to fly guests into orbit . ‘ We ’re looking at various things that could enable people to go to space for a fairish price , ’ he told Interneters last workweek in an online chat . ‘ I hope in five class a reusable skyrocket will have been develop which can take up to 10 people at a time to quell at the Virgin Hotel for two weeks . ’ ” [ May 24 , 1999 Cedar Rapids Gazette ]
2004
“ Airline mogul and venturer Richard Branson announced plans Monday to boldly go where no individual transportation company has gone before — into blank space . Branson ’s Virgin Group said , it would provide commercial space flight by 2007 , with Branson himself get together the inaugural journeying . ” [ September 28 , 2004 Associated Press ]
“ Thrill seekers are plop down six figures to ride Eruca vesicaria sativa that have n’t even been built yet , and a novel airline called Virgin Galactic promise to be up and soar in the next three years . ” [ October 7 , 2004 Associated Press ]
2005
“ Virgin Galactic officials said 100 citizenry already have give $ 200,000 apiece to fell into place . They include actress Victoria Principal , who told the word conference she looked forward to being on the first civilian flying of Virgin Galactic , perhaps as soon as 2008 . ” [ December 15 , 2005 Associated Press ]
“ Virgin Galactic plan to operate its initial flights from the Mojave base out front of the jut opening of the New Mexico spaceport in recent 2009 or early 2010 . ” [ December 14 , 2005 Associated Press ]
2006
“ Virgin Galactic , already has 100 people who have paid $ 200,000 each for flight , which the company has said it hope to start in 2008 . ” [ February 21 , 2006 Associated Press ]
“ The buzz is about Virgin Galactic , the starter spaceline founded by British airline power Sir Richard Branson . It strategically chooses its clients to be the public grimace of the troupe in an travail to draw attention to and , it hope , corner the baby space touristry market place . Take Trevor Beattie , a London - based advertising guru with a earmark swob of curly shameful hair . Beattie was in Los Angeles at a space conference this spring hyping a flight he expect to take in 2008 — the program still awaits Union commendation and the completion of its rocketship . ” [ August 8 , 2006 Associated Press ]
2007
“ Branson and some family members will make the first passenger flying , in mid-2009 . Regular flights will follow . The programme is to vaporize once a week for the first year , then twice a week , and eventually twice a day . Over time , Wincer said , Virgin Galactic hop-skip to drop its ticket terms to $ 50,000 . ” [ February 14 , 2007 Doylestown Intelligencer ]
“ Stephen Attenborough , Virgin Galactic ’s astronaut liaison , reassured the founders in an e - mail that the stroke ’s impact on the first commercial-grade spaceflights — expected in late 2009 or 2010 — will be ‘ minimal ’ and that it was ‘ business as usual . ’ ” [ August 27 , 2007 Associated Press ]
2008
“ The rollout — a year after a deadly fortuity at Rutan ’s exam site — marks the start of a strict flight of stairs test political program that infinite touristry advocates promise will climax with the first suborbital joyousness rides by the destruction of the decade . More than 250 wannabe astronaut have paid $ 200,000 or put down deposition for a chance to float weightless for a simple five moment . ” [ July 27 , 2008 Associated Press ]
2009
“ Gov. Bill Richardson and others are preparing to unwrap footing Friday on mental synthesis of a last and hangar readiness at the humans ’s first commercial spaceport built with the mind of launching private citizen into space for earnings . Some 250 people are lining up to pay $ 200,000 each to take the trip as early as next class . ” [ June 17 , 2009 Associated Press ]
“ Branson desire to begin passenger flights out of New Mexico sometime in 2011 after a series of rigorous safety tests . ” [ December 8 , 2009 Associated Press ]
2010
“ ’ If the plans of people like Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic are precise , in the next three to five long time there will be very frequent infinite tourism launching , ’ suppose Scott Hubbard , a prof of astronautics and aeronautics at Stanford University . ” [ August 22 , 2010 Associated Press ]
“ ticket to ride aboard SpaceShipTwo cost $ 200,000 . Some 370 customer have plunked down deposits totaling $ 50 million , according to Virgin Galactic . ” [ October 11 , 2010 Associated Press ]
2011
“ Virgin Galactic , one of billionaire Richard Branson ’s many companies , has already book more than 300 suborbital flights . The companionship hopes to complete its test phase and get down launching flight next year . Its architectural plan for subocular escape means its ship would go up into space , without completing an orbit of the Earth . ” [ June 3 , 2011 Brandon Sun ]
“ ’ authorities are not go to be running the time to come of space travel , ’ Branson tell an consultation at Microsoft ’s Worldwide Partner Conference on Wednesday . ‘ secret enterprise is . ’ He ’s right . Branson ’s Virgin Galactic design to start steady launches into low land orbit next year . Other company are looking even beyond the moon . ” [ July 15 , 2011 Doylestown Intelligencer ]
“ ’ We ’re very , very tight now – with the spaceport finished , with the mother ship finish up , with the starship finished , with the last test going on – to start commercial spaceship travelling , ’ the Virgin boss [ Richard Branson ] said . Although billed as the prescribed porta , final tests will not be complete until the remnant of 2012 with flights starting soon after . ” [ October 18 , 2011Telegraph ]
2012
“ With over 500 passenger having thrown down a $ 20,000 sedimentation on the $ 200,000 flying into space , Whitesides enunciate Galactic is ‘ or so on track ’ for a late 2013 commercial launching . ” [ June 16 , 2012Techcrunch ]
“ During an industry unit of ammunition table at the Albuquerque International Sunport , Mark Butler of Virgin Galactic say New Mexico used to top the inclination of states for aerospace development because of its Spaceport , where Virgin Galactic hop to commence commercial spaceflights late next year . But he says the state is falling to the bottom because the Legislature has decline to pass legislation exempting suppliers of character for air and place from financial obligation for rider if there is an fortuity . ” [ October 25 , 2012 Santa Fe New Mexican ]
2013
“ Virgin headman Richard Branson has put a fourth dimension chassis on his plan to set up tourists into blank , claiming he and his family will blaze a track for century of fare - pay up rider by blasting off in December 2013 . ” [ June 12 , 2013CNN ]
“ According to Virgin Galactic laminitis , Richard Branson , the firm is put the concluding cutaneous senses on cabin interiors , flight of steps lawsuit , and training programs , among other central details , and they are on track to set about commercial service out of Spaceport America in 2014 . To recapitulate : tourist will be regularly move to space next class . ” [ September 8 , 2013Singularity Hub ]
2014
“ A account take defects bump in the wing of Sir Richard Branson ’s Virgin Galactic spacecraft will delay the commercial outer space flight operation until at least 2015 – but reveals that even when the flights do take off , passengers may technically not be look at into outer space anyway . ” [ May 12 , 2014International Business Times ]
image : All exposure from the Associated Press except for Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Agency poster outside Perth , Australia in 2012 via Matt Novak
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