Trip to the moon by 2015!

The possibility of traveling into space is getting closer to become a reality. Richard Branson’s company, Virgin Galactic, had recently tested a novel system it will use when re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. Its first SpaceShipTwo spacecraft also called VSS Enterprise, took off from the Majove (California) Air and Space Port and landed back successfully on Earth.
The novel feature of feathered re-entry had been compared to the landing of a badminton’s shuttlecock, it relies on aerodynamics and the laws of physics speed control and altitude. This new characteristic allows more safety and makes sure that the craft return to Earth safely while crossing the thick atmosphere.
SpaceShipTwo was carried to its high-altitude drop zone by the WhiteKnightTwo mothership, VMS eve. Both were built by a company’s partner located in California: Scaled Composites of Mojave. The combination of the two vehicles serves as a launch system. SpaceShipTwo is designed to carry six passengers and two pilots to the edge of space and back.
Virgin Galactic will offer different types of flights. The first one will be a short flight of few hours. It is proving to be quite popular as, for the people that can afford it; the company reported that over 400 people already booked their $200,000 ticket. The second one is a longer trip of two days allowing passengers to go around the moon and back. The flight will only be able to carry two passengers and the price is supposed to be around $150 million dollars.
The new market seems very appealing for other major airlines players. It seems that Boeing has already invested to develop his own fleet.