Astronauts with passion

It all began with Dennis Anthony Tito: In 2001, the U.S. entrepreneur became the first non-astronaut to fulfill his dream of traveling into space - and thus went down in the annals of travel as one of the first space tourists. 

Virgin Galactic
Web: virgingalactic.com 
Tickets around 450.000 $ (around € 395.000) per person and flight

Completely detached from Earth: the space flight with Branson's Spaceline. © Virgin Galactic

Tito still paid 20 million dollars for the extraterrestrial journey. At Virgin Galactic, tickets to space - a little more than 20 years later - are already available for $450,000 per person. 

And it's exclusive: The Branson company sends four guests per flight at a rapid 2,6000 kilometers per hour into the infinite widths. The experience lasts only 90 minutes, but will certainly be remembered.

Space travel in 6 steps:

This is how the flight into space works

1. Preparation:
Practice makes perfect - which is why the space tourists have to undergo a rigid training program before their flight.

2. Take off & air launch: 
On a runway, the luxurious Virgin Galactic spacecraft, here still connected to the mother ship, gently rolls off the runway in New Mexico and then continues to rise into the sky. 

3. Release & boost: 
3, 2, 1 - Release! At an altitude of 15,200 meters, the journey continues without a mother ship. At three and a half times the speed of sound, you fly toward the stars.

4. Space Flight:
After 60 seconds, you'll arrive in space. The engine is switched off and you can enjoy the view from the 17 cabin windows in microgravity.

The official promotional video explains the flight into space in detail. © Virgin Galactic

5. Back to Earth:
The space shuttle wings are folded up. Like a capsule, the space shuttle falls back into the earth's atmosphere. There, the wings unfold again and gently glide the guests back to the runway. 

6. After Flight Party:
Afterwards, an astronaut wings ceremony with loved ones awaits you at the origin and destination. You can call yourself a member of the future astronaut community.

Everyone wants to go into space

Branson's galactic flight line is far from the first company to fulfill people's desire for an extraordinary life experience. In the early 2000s, Space Adventures saw itself as a key player in the space flight business; in the meantime, some competition has emerged. Most recently, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' private spacelines Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX caused a stir. 

The offer of tourist space travel is still minimal - but definitely available.