British billionaire Richard Branson opened the world's first-ever commercial spaceport in the New Mexico desert, the new home for his company, Virgin Galactic.
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"Spaceport America," as the site is called, will serve "as the operating hub for Virgin Galactic and is expected to house up to two WhiteKnightTwos and five SpaceShipTwos, in addition to all of Virgin?s astronaut preparation facilities and mission control," said the company in a statement to the press.
About 150 people already booked for travel on the first flights to orbit attended the event, said the company.
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In the meantime, Virgin has sold some 430 tickets for space travel -- at $200,000 a pop -- for an estimated $86 million.
But will it have a bar full of aliens and with Han Solo in the corner making a deal with Luke Skywalker?
Well, it is in the New Mexico desert, so anything is possible. Maybe they should call it Area 51 Spaceport America. $200,000 a pop for a space-travel ride. Wow. Bet that doesn't even include the baggage fees.
