It has been discussed for years and finally, this summer, Virgin Galactic is certain that it will become the first commercial spaceliner offering short trips to the edge of the Earth and back.

George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic, commented this week on the success of over 75 test flights.

SpaceShipTwo, a suborbital spaceship, will be the craft that, as of now, is able to take passengers within 62 miles of the edge of space. At this altitude, those aboard will experience “a few minutes of weightlessness, a view of the darkness of space and the curvature of Earth.”

By the end of the year, Virgin Galactic hopes test flights will reach space altitude, which will also require them to obtain a commercial operation license from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The company is forecasting commercial flights from Spaceport America in New Mexico as early as 2013.

Though the trips are currently valued at $200,000, Virgin Galactic reports that 477 people have already signed up, and most have already put down a deposit. Considering only about 525 people in all of history have traveled to space, that is a significant number.

But with the progress being made by companies like Virgin Atlantic, CheapOair may one day be redirecting you to cheap flights to outer space.

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Source: Huffington Post
Flickr Photo Credit: DonkeyHotey