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15-11-2011, 05:56 AM
Good to have money to burn......
In this case, it's US$1 million!
Business Times - 15 Nov 2011
Singapore family books US$1m Virgin space flight
It will become first Asian family to fly together on space-tourism airline
(SINGAPORE) A Singaporean businessman, his wife and two children have paid US$1 million to become the first Asian family to fly together on space-tourism airline Virgin Galactic, the company announced yesterday.
'I had lunch yesterday with a guy who got in touch with us in Singapore, and over lunch he signed his contract for not just a seat, but for a whole flight,' Virgin Galactic commercial director Stephen Attenborough said.
Speaking at an international media and marketing conference in Singapore, Mr Attenborough said the customer handed over a cheque for US$1 million and asked to remain anonymous because 'apparently he hasn't told his wife yet'.
'So he is going to become, or he and his family will become, the first family from Asia to become astronauts together,' Mr Attenborough said.
The US-based firm, part of British tycoon Richard Branson's Virgin conglomerate, has sold bookings since 2005 at US$200,000 per seat even though it has not yet set a firm timetable for space flights to be launched from New Mexico.
Mr Branson announced in late 2004 that the firm would launch the world's first space tourism flights in two to three years but after delays, the target has now been moved to 2013.
Mr Attenborough told AFP that the Singaporean businessman chartered one exclusive flight for his family on the six-seat aircraft SpaceShipTwo. 'They should be flying in the first year of commercial operations. They'll be within the first thousand human beings to have ever gone to space, or they should be,' Mr Attenborough said.
He said nine out of nearly 500 tickets sold worldwide had been bought by customers in Singapore. Families from other countries such as Canada, the US and Britain have also bought tickets, Mr Attenborough revealed. 'About 35 to 40 per cent are from the United States, 15 per cent from the UK ... I think there are 46 countries now represented in total and for many of those countries, the people will be the first astronaut for that country,' he said.
Customers from the Asia-Pacific region now account for 'approximately 15 per cent' of ticket sales despite a ban on Virgin Galactic selling seats in China, the region's biggest economy.
'I think Asia is a huge opportunity for us, absolutely. Just the interest we've had from Singapore, which is a fairly small part of Asia, I've been extremely impressed,' Mr Attenborough said. 'We have seen an increasing amount of interest from this part of the world and hopefully that will translate into lots of future astronauts.' - AFP
In this case, it's US$1 million!Business Times - 15 Nov 2011
Singapore family books US$1m Virgin space flight
It will become first Asian family to fly together on space-tourism airline
(SINGAPORE) A Singaporean businessman, his wife and two children have paid US$1 million to become the first Asian family to fly together on space-tourism airline Virgin Galactic, the company announced yesterday.
'I had lunch yesterday with a guy who got in touch with us in Singapore, and over lunch he signed his contract for not just a seat, but for a whole flight,' Virgin Galactic commercial director Stephen Attenborough said.
Speaking at an international media and marketing conference in Singapore, Mr Attenborough said the customer handed over a cheque for US$1 million and asked to remain anonymous because 'apparently he hasn't told his wife yet'.
'So he is going to become, or he and his family will become, the first family from Asia to become astronauts together,' Mr Attenborough said.
The US-based firm, part of British tycoon Richard Branson's Virgin conglomerate, has sold bookings since 2005 at US$200,000 per seat even though it has not yet set a firm timetable for space flights to be launched from New Mexico.
Mr Branson announced in late 2004 that the firm would launch the world's first space tourism flights in two to three years but after delays, the target has now been moved to 2013.
Mr Attenborough told AFP that the Singaporean businessman chartered one exclusive flight for his family on the six-seat aircraft SpaceShipTwo. 'They should be flying in the first year of commercial operations. They'll be within the first thousand human beings to have ever gone to space, or they should be,' Mr Attenborough said.
He said nine out of nearly 500 tickets sold worldwide had been bought by customers in Singapore. Families from other countries such as Canada, the US and Britain have also bought tickets, Mr Attenborough revealed. 'About 35 to 40 per cent are from the United States, 15 per cent from the UK ... I think there are 46 countries now represented in total and for many of those countries, the people will be the first astronaut for that country,' he said.
Customers from the Asia-Pacific region now account for 'approximately 15 per cent' of ticket sales despite a ban on Virgin Galactic selling seats in China, the region's biggest economy.
'I think Asia is a huge opportunity for us, absolutely. Just the interest we've had from Singapore, which is a fairly small part of Asia, I've been extremely impressed,' Mr Attenborough said. 'We have seen an increasing amount of interest from this part of the world and hopefully that will translate into lots of future astronauts.' - AFP
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