Science fiction meets science fact with space travel

Sometimes science fiction meets science fact in a way that blurs the difference. Richard Branson's fronts a new "movie" about the Virgin Galactic space tourist enterprise on their slick and newly revamped website (www.virgingalactic.com).

It's inspiring stuff and perhaps more Irish people will sign up to go into space with their $20,000 deposit just as soon as their SSIAs mature... Is it any coincidence that SpaceShipOne's designer Burt Rutan was in Ireland last year?!

If you're tempted, here's the blurb from the sales brochure:

Giving you the groundbreaking opportunity to be
one of the first ever space tourists, Virgin Galactic
will own and operate its privately built spaceships,
modelled on the remarkable, history-making
SpaceShipOne.

Virgin’s vast experience in aviation, adventure,
luxury travel and cutting-edge design combined
with the unique technology developed by Burt
Rutan will ensure an unforgettable experience
unlike any other available to mankind.

With safety at the forefront, our unique spacecraft
is being designed at Rutan’s base in Mojave, Cali-
fornia alongside a concerted research and devel-
opment programme.

These spaceships will allow affordable sub-orbital
space tourism for the first time in the history of the
universe…

"The deal with Mojave Aerospace Ventures is just
the start of what we believe will be a new era in the
history of mankind, one day making the affordable
exploration of space by human beings a real possibility."
- Richard Branson