Edge of Space

“How much would you pay for a trip into space? A lot of people are wondering that after the company Virgin Galactic unveiled the first-ever commercial passenger spaceship on Monday. The sleek, black-and-white spacecraft was created in the hope of developing a space tourism industry. Already, 300 people have agreed to pay $200,000 for a trip to the edge of space. The specially designed plane will be carried into the atmosphere by another plane and released. Rocket engines would then carry the craft to about 60 miles above Earth. Passengers would be able to see the curvature of the planet and experience weightlessness. The space plane was developed under great secrecy in the Mojave Desert in California. Testing is expected to begin next year; if all goes well, actual flights could begin in 2011.”