Countdown To Liftoff: Virgin Galactic Claims Space Tourism Will Commence In Two Years Or Less

With SpaceX successfully ferrying cargo to the International Space Station on the regular, and space tourism plans from Russia well in the works, the world's financial elite are starting to slaver over the speculation of a vacation in space.  Virgin Galactic have now thrown in their spacesuit-gauntlet, claiming they will be actively operating outside of the atmosphere in as little as two years.

These are what spacesuit gauntlets look like, BTW.
(Image courtesy fineartamerica.com.)

Despite the crash of its once-lauded Spaceship Two late last year, the company have pressed onward with their space initiatives.  According to the Register UK, although the crash cost the life of one pilot, Michael Alsbury,Virgin will press on with their plans to live the high life in low-earth-orbit.

And soon enough, maybe you'll be at all the best parties in Moonhattan.
(Image courtesy localusnews.com.)

The feathering tail-boom reentry system that was the cause of the crash will be made more difficult to accidentally deploy, as is speculated was the cause of the crash.  "It'll be made physically harder to unlock the feathering system at the wrong time," stated the BBC.

Yet even a crashing catastrophe couldn't deter aspiring astronauts. Virgin chief executive George Whitesides stated, "The vast majority of our customers, so about 98 per cent, have been really terrific, very supportive. What we are doing is not easy, it's an historic thing. What we are doing is opening up space to the rest of us. We are democratising space."

Well, the kind of democracy that $250,000 buys.  But hey, if enough people get into it, the prices will keep coming down as the rockets keep going up, right?

FREEDOM!
(Image courtesy huffingtonpost.uk.)