Fashion retailer first Aussie on Branson's commercial space travel project
by Rich Bowden - Apr 27 2009, 06:39
Image: WhiteKnightTwo. Credit: Virgin Galactic
Glenys Ambe, owner of two fashion shops in Brisbane, Queensland, is literally over the moon today after becoming the first Australian to buy a ticket on Sir RichardBranson's Virgin Galactic commercial space travel project.
The 52-year-old shelled out $200,000 AUD for the privilege of partaking in a two-hour flight at a yet-to-be-announced date, which will include just four minutes of space travel as the craft leaves the Earth's atmosphere.
Ms Ambe was the star guest at the Sydney launch of the Virgin Galactic spacecraft, an event that included a digital simulation of the flight, reported news agency AAP.
The Brisbane entrepreneur said it had always been a dream of hers to reach the stars.
"I have always wanted to go up in space," she said. "The only day I wagged school in my whole life was when my father gave me permission... the day they walked on the moon."
"I never thought [commercial space travel] would happen in my lifetime," she added. "...it's a dream and now I've got this dream that's coming true."
Branson's Virgin company has sold 300 tickets to people in 40 countries who are prepared to pay big bucks for the thrill of space travel. However, no flight dates have been set as the company says it is still "space-testing" the SpaceShipTwo, and its mother ship, WhiteKnightTwo. The testing is expected to take until mid 2011.
The space travel company said that, while flight prices may be high initially, it was hoping to bring the costs down to a more affordable level in the future.
"But whether it will ever get down to 99 cents plus taxes, I don't know," said Carolyn Wincer, Virgin Galactic's head of astronaut sales.
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