Englan - Cambridge - First Virgin Galactic space tourists

Virgin Galactic Astronauts Mark and Christine Easterfield.

Ordinary husband and wife Mark and Christine Easterfield stand awkwardly at the dirty picket fence with their Volvo car parked on the gravel drive outside their home near Cambridge, England. They are among the thousands of people who have paid the $200,000 fee for a seat on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space flights. Aboard the re-usable space vehicle will be 6 passengers, each of whom will have paid $200,000 for the 40 minute flight to 360,000 feet (109.73km, or 68.18 miles) and to experience just 6 minutes of weighlessness. Flights start around 2009/10 from a Mojave desert test facility but therafter, at the new Philippe Starck-designed SpacePort America, New Mexico, USA. a 27 square mile, $225 million headquarters and mission control facility near Las Cruces.

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Copyright: Richard Baker
Image Size: 3072x2421 / 590.5KB; Richard Baker fence portrait car volvo couple husband wife standing smiling house home astronaut virgin galactic sir richard branson flight space business venture orbit orbital tourist tourism ship operation weightless floating fare paying $ dollars exploration history future sci-fi science private enterprise tycoon investment money universe concept conception conceptual brave spend trip lifetime Mojave composite Rutan technology aviation adventure travel special unique safety research development programme experience awesome traveller kilometres km altitude height sickness vomit nausea cutting edge affordable sub-orbital mother 2001 real imagination earth planet solar system stars way atmosphere aerospace zero gravity g forces healthy health countdown lift-off lift upwards trek pilot emissions global capsule command module spacecraft spaceship planetary excursionist globetrotter jet-setter journeyer sightseer traveler tripper vacationist visitor voyager holiday voyage destination return safe people adventurer risk payment pay odyssey excitement exciting rich wealth wealthy nasa competition epic 2009 savour craft curvature wired nextfest scale replica dramatic opportunity pioneer pioneering vehicle impact starck phillippe ride cabin viable customer client punter adventurous dream routine passenger historical mankind leisure lifestyle
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Ordinary husband and wife Mark and Christine Easterfield stand awkwardly at the dirty picket fence with their Volvo car parked on the gravel drive outside their home near Cambridge, England. They are among the thousands of people who have paid the $200,000 fee for a seat on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space flights. Aboard the re-usable space vehicle will be 6 passengers, each of whom will have paid $200,000 for the 40 minute flight to 360,000 feet (109.73km, or 68.18 miles) and to experience just 6 minutes of weighlessness. Flights start around 2009/10 from a Mojave desert test facility but therafter, at the new Philippe Starck-designed SpacePort America, New Mexico, USA. a 27 square mile, $225 million headquarters and mission control facility near Las Cruces.