The dawn of a new era

Space travel for the very rich. Like when passenger air planes first started. It wasn't until the 80's did it become affordable for most everyone. I think it will be 50 years before regular Jane and Joe can afford a ride to the moon or mars.

Dad said:

there was a time until the 70's you could go to the airport and walk straight to the plane. There was no security screening and people actually had guns in their luggage. At some airports they didn't verify your identity to make sure you are the ticket holder that's supposed to be on the plane. Dad said a bunch of back to back plane hijackings including 4 in the same week changed the rules.

People who flew were always dressed up and had money. The food on the planes were 5 stars quality banquets. The flight attendants were stewardesses, beautiful women chosen for their look and often friendly because they knew the male passengers had money.

Well yes I agree but it had to start sometime.
The point is that its no longer the reserve of highly trained military and scientific personnel, normal people assuming they have the bucks can go and in time the price will go down.

I'm glad he beat Bezos to the punch and I bet Musk is envious too

Big congratulations to Branson. This is how progress is made. He just made a big step of progress.

On This Day in Space! July 17, 1962: X-15 breaks altitude record. 314,750 feet. That's almost 60 miles

That was 59 years ago, think where we may have been by now if that program had been allowed to continue.

June 30 at 3:31 p.m. EDT, Falcon 9 launched the Transporter-2 with 85 satellites aboard,

Branson gets 280,000 feet and the world is amazed?

Yeah Sunchaser, I kind of feel the same way. Not that it was easy for the Virgin Galactic people to do, but it doesn't seem like a real breakthrough to me. They had launched a smaller version of that craft in 2004 so the technology doesn't seem to be a big breakthrough either.

I know someone who bought a ticket back in 2005 or so, and they have been waiting all this time, so in a way, I kind of feel more like it's about time.

Yes, the X-15; but that was a government/military operation. This was a civilian program.

I think it was an accomplishment from the standpoint of the team that developed it, and it *is* cool, but I don't see it as a really major breakthrough. As mentioned, they have done it before with a smaller craft 17 years ago, and the person I know has put in $200K along with many others, and were told it would be something like 3 years. I'm more impressed with the speed they can go more than the altitude they reach. Handling over 3 Mach is impressive, and even more so with all those windows..

Cheers to Branson and his team.

This is a significant achievement. He did it with his own initiative and money. Lots and lots and oh wait almost everyone else can’t say they’ve done what he has.