BS: Branson up and up and up

Subject: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 11:31 AM

Picked this up on the web, nice to see the MAV guys getting some serious backing.

Any suggestions for in flight entertainment? Alian 1,2 and 3?

What about suggestions for in flight food?



Sir Richard Branson has announced a deal, potentially worth £14 million, to secure the world's first commercial flights to space.

   
Sir Richard Branson hopes to send 3,000 astronauts to space in five years
He revealed his outer space business venture during a press gathering at the Royal Aeronautical Society in Central London this morning.

The licensing deal with Mojave Aerospace Ventures (MAV), which owns the technology, could be worth millions over the next 15 years depending on the number of spaceships built by Virgin.

Prices for each seat are expected to start at £115,000 with three days' flight training. Up to 3,000 astronauts could be flying in space over a five-year period.

Sir Richard said: "We hope to create thousands of astronauts over the next few years and bring alive their dream of seeing the majestic beauty of our planet from above, the stars in all their glory and the amazing sensation of weightlessness.

"The development will also allow every country in the world to have their own astronauts rather than the privileged few."

He was flanked by aviation legend Burt Rutan, who developed the spaceship design. His company, Scaled Composites, have built one and it reached a height of 62 miles in June.

In a separate agreement, MAV is close to finalising a deal with Burt Rutan to use the technology to build spaceships to carry paying passengers on return journeys to the stars for two hours.

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: GUEST,milk monitor
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 11:38 AM

Pink Floyds Dark Side of The Moon playing in a darkened cabin.

Mars Bars have got to be on the menu....and champagne, just to see which way the bubbles go.

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 11:43 AM

Tubular Bells surely.

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: pdq
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 11:49 AM

You means this isn't about the Fifth Dimension playing Branson, MO?

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: GUEST,milk monitor
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 12:24 PM

Yes, spot on with Tubular Bells, and who could blame him. I'm sure it's paid for the fuel at least. Listening to it at the moment and it really is perfect for the trip, wonder if he knew.

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: Peter T.
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 01:05 PM

In the immortal words of Tom Stoppard, shooting humans out into space, particularly rich humans, is a good idea, but as soon as there is this idea of bringing them back, I lose interest.

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: Amos
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 02:30 PM

Gotta have "Hey Mister Spaceman -- you sure have started something" by the Holy Modal ROunders, IIRC. And that weird 70's "Ground Control to Major Tom"...with the speaker-piper sound effects.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 07:49 PM

'Urban Spaceman' by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band?
"Thus spoke Zarathusa' (Theme from 2001 movie)

In flight food would have to have mashed potatoes so the peas do not go into orbit.

And can NASA do a bit of research to see if you can get a head of beer?

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 05:12 AM

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 08:35 AM

Yeah. I thought Branson, Missouri had lined up a gig with Seamus or Big Mick or the Juilliard String Quartet or some other thing that'd improve the offerings there.

Shucks, as I remember it, some company (Pan Am?) was selling tickets to the Moon back in the '50s.

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: GUEST,Hugh Jampton
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 10:27 AM

I hope his space ship goes a little further than his tilting train did yesterday!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: Mr Red
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 07:46 AM

I rather fancy his credit card - not because it is a good deal but this is the first one I have found in red - sadly it is actually an MNBA card and I already have one via them - they are not the most thoughtful compnay.

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 08:07 AM

And I hope the toilets work better than on the trains.

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: Mr Red
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 07:55 AM

You will need them!

Mind you the bar on the space hopper is not much to write home about - no atmoshphere.

Subject: RE: BS: Branson up and up and up
From: GUEST,Mingulay
Date: 30 Sep 04 - 10:06 AM

My space hopper hasn't got a bar, just two sticky out bits that look a bit like ears. Mind you, I wouldn't want to go into space on it anyway. Bit of a nutcracker!