For a mere US$450,000 per person, travellers will soon be able to travel to edge of space with Virgin Galactic, which will start regular commercial flights beginning in August. The space tourism company has been working for years to send paying passengers on short space trips and in 2021 finally won the US federal government’s approval.

Available to ticket holders – many who have been waiting more than a decade for their ride aboard Virgin Galactic’s rocket-powered space plane – first flights will begin in early August with monthly flights following that.

The company completed its final test flight in May and is planning a research mission for Italian scientists in June before starting public space flights.

“This next exciting chapter for Virgin Galactic has been driven by innovation, determination and a commitment to delivering an unparalleled and truly transformative customer experience,” CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement.

After reaching an altitude of nearly 15,000 m., Virgin Galactic’s space plane is released from a carrier aircraft and drops for a moment before igniting its rocket motor. The plane shuts off once it reaches space, providing passengers with silence, weightlessness, and an aerial view of Earth. The rocket ship then glides back to the runway at Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert.

Virgin Galactic has sold about 800 tickets over the past decade, with the initial batch going for $200,000 each. Tickets now cost $450,000 per person. (Ed. note: We’re not sure if flights are commissionable!)

The company said early fliers have already received their seat assignments.

The highest profile test flight came in July 2021 when Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson beat fellow billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and rocket company Blue Origin into space. Bezos ended up flying nine days later from West Texas, and Blue Origin has since launched several passenger trips.