Virgin Galactic has opened ticket sales to the public for the first time, providing an opportunity to purchase a trip to the edge of space. Virgin Galactic ticket prices start at $450,000 each, as the company revealed last year, with three different sales offerings: a single seat purchase, packaged seats for couples, friends or family, or opportunities to book entire flights. The company has said previously that — of the $150,000 deposit — $25,000 is not refundable. virgin galactic space tickets

“At Virgin Galactic, we believe that space is transformational,” said Virgin Galactic chief executive, Michael Colglazier.

“We plan to have our first 1,000 customers on board at the start of commercial service later this year, providing an incredibly strong foundation as we begin regular operations and scale our fleet.”

Virgin Galactic spaceflight reservations also provide access to the Future Astronaut membership community – designed and curated to bring inspiration, excitement, and adventure from the time of ticket purchase to spaceflight and beyond.

Members will enjoy access to money-can’t-buy experiences, events, trips and space-readiness activities while they await their spaceflight.

The spaceflight itself launches from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Starting with several days of spaceflight preparedness activities, future astronauts will stay with their guests at forthcoming custom accommodations.

Guests will enjoy bespoke itineraries and world-class amenities during astronaut-specific training programs.

During spaceflight, astronauts will experience a 90-minute journey including a signature air launch and Mach-3 boost to space.

The spaceship gracefully flips while astronauts enjoy several minutes of out-of-seat weightlessness and breath-taking views of Earth from the 17 windows.

Upon return from this transformational experience, astronauts will begin a meaningful journey to create positive impact with the perspective that can only come from seeing our beautiful planet from space.

Spaceflight reservations are a total price of US$450,000.

Shares of Virgin Galactic jumped 32% in trading to close at $10.74. The stock has been battered over the past 12 months, dropping 80%, with the company having delayed the beginning of commercial spaceflights to late this year.

For much of the last decade, Virgin Galactic has had about 600 reservations for tickets on future flights, with those tickets sold largely between $200,000 and $250,000 each. In August, the company opened ticket sales at the $450,000 price to those who had expressed interest. It had sold about 100 additional tickets as of November.

Alongside opening ticket sales to the public, Virgin Galactic also revealed it is replacing the iris of Sir Richard Branson in its logo with a purple outline of its spacecraft. The move distances Virgin Galactic from its founder, with Branson having sold more than $1.25 billion in stock since the company went public in 2019 and achieved his longtime dream of passing the U.S. boundary of space in July.