Branson’s spaceship to begin test flights this year

TYCOON Richard Branson unveiled his newest spaceship and said that test flights for the vessel would begin this year.

Mr Branson, who plans to carry tourists on short flights into space by 2010, revealed models and photographs of the newest version of SpaceShipTwo and also the twin-fuselage WhiteKnightTwo, which will ferry SpaceShipTwo into the atmosphere for a midair launch.

Virgin Galactic, part of Mr Branson’s airline, vacation and retail company Virgin Group, has 200 people signed up and $30 million (€20.3m) in deposits for the rides, which cost about $200,000 (€135,606) per person, with 85,000 people having expressed interest.