146,000 euros it costs to travel in space

The first commercial spaceport , located in a remote desert of New Mexico, has officially opened its doors with the intention of becoming an astronaut to the citizen who can afford this "unique experience".

This airport has been built by Virgin Galactic, owned by tycoon Sir English Richard Branson , who traveled to New Mexico in the Southwest to inaugurate the facility. They have also come to the desert basin of the Jornada del Muerto, an uninhabited area of the state of New Mexico to participate in launch events around two hundred customers around the world who have already partially or totally paid $ 200,000 (146 049 euros), which costs the ticket space.


During these events could be seen in flight 'WhiteKnightTwo', one of the ships is expected to bring customers into space. "Watch this aircraft has been a dream come true and it's my motivation to live day by day," said Vesa Heilala, a Finn who has already purchased your ticket. Although the first date of travel is still unknown, most of the 400 people so far have bought their ticket into space does not seem very concerned about it.


"It's an investment in this industry that is emerging today. There is an expense at all," said Harry Zacal Mexican, who argued that it has the feeling of having spent $ 200,000, but of contributing to scientific development of mankind. The $ 209 million spaceport which cost has been provided by the state of New Mexico.


According to the governor of New Mexico, Susana Martinez, were the citizens themselves who decided that this project will remain in New Mexico for the benefits of tourism can bring this air base. "We created 972 temporary jobs in the construction of this airport and now it will create about 550 permanent jobs in the following years," said Martinez.


Branson has pledged that he and his sons will be the first space tourists and will open and some flights could begin in 2013 , according to the team at Virgin Galactic.


The track, three miles long and 60 meters wide, is part of a futuristic complex designed by architect Norman Foster. Since there is scheduled to go the mothership WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) and SpaceShipTwo (SS2). "Our expectations are to live a unique experience that we can tell our grandchildren that we expected people back," said David Michan, a prospective traveler to Mexico.


Recently, NASA and Virgin Galactic signed a contract for $ 4.5 million for that body to use up three flights of their craft for scientific purposes.


Virgin Galactic craft are, for now, only private vehicles manned capable of suborbital flights (about 100 km altitude). These large sums of money received by Virgin Galactic can help reduce the costs of passage, and thus make it more accessible to the general public in the future. "We're just starting out, but I think in a few years the prices have to decrease so that it becomes commonplace for people to travel into space," said Clint Nichols, one of the pilot training program.


In February, Virgin Galactic has signed its first contract to bring scientists into space for academic purposes, particularly with the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Colorado (USA), whose experts analyze the effects of microgravity, and conduct experiments related to biology, climate and astronomical research.