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On December 7th, 2006, Virgin Galactic announced that Park Avenue Travel had been selected as one of only forty two travel agencies in North America to become an accredited space agency. This prestigious distinction allows Park Avenue Travel™ to sell voyages to space on Virgin Galactic and is the only agency in Pennsylvania and the Philadephia region. Joshua E. Bush CTA, Director of Business Development for Park Avenue Travel, has made a five year commitment to Virgin Galactic and has undergone an extensive training process that has included classes at the Kennedy Space Center, a weightless Zero-G parabolic flight, as well as spins exceeding 3Gs in a human centrifuge. This training has equipped him to answer all questions relelvent to potential space travelers. In addition his specialized training has allowed him to physically experience every possible scenario sort of going to space himself. Very few ASAs have undergone this entire rigorous training process. By graduating the core course in February of 2007, Joshua is now a Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Agent (ASA). Only ASAs are authorized to sell tickets on Virgin Galactic sub-orbital flights.
The Experience
Virgin Galactic’s sub-orbital space trips promise to be the most intense and wonderful experiences that passengers have ever had. Astronauts of the past 45 years have all returned to earth struggling to convey the enormity of what they have discovered and with their perceptions clearly changed. To be able to extend that privilege to people from all walks of life has been a long held ambition at Virgin. To date more than 200 tickets have already been sold!
Astronauts will spend 2 to 3 days of training at or near the Virgin Galactic New Mexico Spaceport before embarking on their sub-orbital flight, although the first flights will depart from the Mojave Spaceport. You will fly in SpaceShipTwo (SS2) designed and built by Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites and based on SpaceShipOne which has completed 3 sub-orbital flights and won the X Prize in 2004.
SS2 will be carried by a revolutionary mothership called WhiteKnightTwo. She will climb to a height of around 50,000 feet (approximate cruising altitude of Concorde) where SS2 will be released before firing her rockets and accelerating in a vertical climb reaching a speed of 3.3 mach. Shortly afterward SS2 will slow to allow you to enjoy zero g and continue to climb to a total altitude of 110km or 360,888 feet – that’s 10 kilometres or 33,000 feet into space! After enjoying some of the most spectacular views and sensations ever experienced by humankind, the wings of the spacecraft will feather to allow a safe re-entry at around 6 g’s. After re-entry the wings will re-configure to allow a gentle glide back to the spaceport. On your return to terra firma you will be given your Virgin Galactic astronaut wings!
The cost of the flight is US$200,000 and there are three deposit options available that link to the order in which astronauts will fly along with the level of involvement they wish to have with the project…
Founders
Founders will take the first 100 commercial seats. They will be world’s first private astronauts who will be in the vanguard of a new industry. In order to guarantee one of these first 100 seats we are asking for payment of the full projected ticket price of US$200,000 as an up-front (but fully refundable) deposit. In return for this significant commitment we offer our Founders a high degree of involvement in the project as it progresses; to meet with its key proponents and to provide ideas and feedback to help Virgin Galactic get the details right. Founder seats are almost all sold so are reservations are being taken on a waitlist basis only.
Pioneers
Pioneers will gain their Virgin Galactic astronaut wings after Founders. Comprising 400 individuals, all of whom can expect to be amongst the first 1000 humans in space and to fly within Virgin Galactic’s first year of operation. Pioneers are being asked to secure a numbered seat reservation by paying an up-front deposit as follows…
US$200,000 to be among seat numbers 1 to 100 **-SOLD OUT-**
US$175,000 to be among seat numbers 101 to 199 **-SOLD OUT-**
US$150,000 to be among seat numbers 200 to 299 **-ALMOST SOLD OUT-**
Call 1-800-220-TRIP to reserve your ticket today!!
US$125,000 to be among seat numbers 300 to 399
US$100,000 to be among seat numbers 400 to 500
Voyagers
Voyagers are those who share in the enthusiasm for private space travel but who are less concerned about being amongst the first to go. Voyagers are vital to the sustainability of the business and our ability to reduce ticket prices over time. Virgin Galactic is asking for a 10% deposit of US$20,000 to secure a numbered seat reservation in this category and expect to start flying this group during the second year of operation.
Still Interested?
Fill out the form below to ensure you are one of the first private astronauts in space. We will contact you to answer whatever questions you may have. Reservations are now being accepted!
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