Author Topic: Would you pay $250,000 to travel to space via Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo? (Read 54302 times)

Barrie · « **Reply #20 on:** 07/21/2013 08:56 am »

It is space, but only in a trivial sense. It is an upside-down bungee jump.

Bob Shaw · « **Reply #21 on:** 07/21/2013 10:59 am »

I'd go. Have to sell the house, wife and kids though (not the dog, that'd be going a bit far!).

JohnFornaro · « **Reply #22 on:** 07/21/2013 12:58 pm »

Naaahhh.

Too bad the poll is biased and doesn't include the choice:

No, because I have a different set of priorities, and do not tell others what their priorities must be, regardless of my finances.

But that would imply nuance resulting from a broad understanding of why people do various things.

Jeff Lerner · « **Reply #23 on:** 07/21/2013 02:02 pm »

C'mon folks...Paris Hilton is going to fly above the Karman Line and get her astronaut wings and those of you voting No wouldn't consider this ??...

If I had the money I'd go in a second.......

R7 · « **Reply #24 on:** 07/21/2013 02:10 pm »

No.

If I had $250,000 to spend on space I'd try amateur rocket tinkering myself.

grondilu · « **Reply #25 on:** 07/21/2013 02:18 pm »

I voted "yes if I were Bill Gates", meaning that I'd have to be extremely rich in order to afford wasting that kind of money on that.

An other, more personal question would be: how much would you be able and willing to pay for such a flight, given your current financial situation?

vt_hokie · « **Reply #26 on:** 07/21/2013 04:23 pm »

Quote from: grondilu on 07/21/2013 02:18 pm

An other, more personal question would be: how much would you be able and willing to pay for such a flight, given your current financial situation?

Seeing as I'm unemployed (albeit with a fresh MBA and looking for a job) I'll have to defer on that one. My current answer would be $0.

But I've taken a few soaring lessons and I'd love to pick that up if I had the time and money. So, I'd probably have to weigh the brief joyride against the however many hours of time in a sailplane that could buy! I've taken some sailing lessons as well and that's another thing I'd enjoy. And again, a boat would last a lot longer than that single SS2 flight!

grondilu · « **Reply #27 on:** 07/21/2013 05:39 pm »

Quote from: vt_hokie on 07/21/2013 04:23 pm

So, I'd probably have to weigh the brief joyride against the however many hours of time in a sailplane that could buy! I've taken some sailing lessons as well and that's another thing I'd enjoy. And again, a boat would last a lot longer than that single SS2 flight!

Nice comparison. I have no idea how much a sailboat costs, but I would not be surprised if you can buy a nice one with 250k$. You'd enjoy your boat trips probably much more than a Virgin Galactic ride. I mean, you'd have peace and quiet, the fresh air of sea, a nice breeze in your hair, and a clear view of the sky at night. You'd probably see more stars from your boat than through the small window of the SpaceShipp II.

cro-magnon gramps · « **Reply #28 on:** 07/22/2013 12:50 am »

I voted no, it's half the eventual ticket to Mars via SpaceX; so for me, I would rather wait and save the money for THAT trip, after having a Stem Cell Regenerative Session in my local hospital in 2030; wind back the clock from 82 to 42

Hodapp · « **Reply #29 on:** 07/22/2013 01:44 am »

Too rich, when I can take the same ride and be more up close and personal on the XCOR Lynx.

Yes I would fly "the cat"!

The two sub-orbitals are comparable and even better than Alan Shep's and Gus Grissom's rides into space! So it not orbital, but what the hell, it's a once in a lifetime experience, and at 95k you can pay part cash then finance the rest, it's affordable if it really want to do it.

Tass · « **Reply #30 on:** 07/22/2013 08:52 am »

Quote from: vt_hokie on 07/21/2013 04:23 pm

Quote from: grondilu on 07/21/2013 02:18 pm
An other, more personal question would be: how much would you be able and willing to pay for such a flight, given your current financial situation?

Seeing as I'm unemployed (albeit with a fresh MBA and looking for a job) I'll have to defer on that one. My current answer would be $0.

Really? Even if you got the offer, you wouldn't pay ten bucks to go?

grondilu · « **Reply #31 on:** 07/22/2013 01:44 pm »

Quote from: Tass on 07/22/2013 08:52 am

Quote from: vt_hokie on 07/21/2013 04:23 pm
Quote from: grondilu on 07/21/2013 02:18 pm
An other, more personal question would be: how much would you be able and willing to pay for such a flight, given your current financial situation?

Seeing as I'm unemployed (albeit with a fresh MBA and looking for a job) I'll have to defer on that one. My current answer would be $0.

Really? Even if you got the offer, you wouldn't pay ten bucks to go?

As far as I'm concerned, I'd say yeah I could put ten bucks into this.

Let's make it an auction: who would put 100$ ?

R7 · « **Reply #32 on:** 07/22/2013 01:53 pm »

Quote from: grondilu on 07/22/2013 01:44 pm

Let's make it an auction: who would put 100$ ?

[imitating Dave Hester] Yuuuuuuuup!

strangequark · « **Reply #33 on:** 07/22/2013 06:56 pm »

Quote from: R7 on 07/21/2013 02:10 pm

No.

If I had $250,000 to spend on space I'd try amateur rocket tinkering myself.

I answered No for this exact same reason. Suborbital doesn't excite me all that much, and I could build some of my own hardware that would be much more entertaining. Now $250,000 for an orbital flight, and you've got a customer.

Moe Grills · « **Reply #34 on:** 07/22/2013 07:50 pm »

Quote from: Hauerg on 07/21/2013 06:57 am

No.

For me "space" just meaning "airless" always has been of no interest.
Flying SS2 with will yield operational experience, which I find great. But hybrid engines will not help us on our way to sustainable travel throughout the Solar system.

What's wrong with seeing the Earth from more than 100 km up?
What's wrong with 3-5 minutes of zero-g experience?
I think IMHO there is nothing in the universe more beautiful than seeing our homeworld from space IN PERSON.
Only about 500 people out of 6-7 billion have had that experience.

Quote

Quote
And as you might have guessed, the money is not there.

And I find all that VTOVL stuff much more relevant.
]
Quote
Relevant in what way? The hypothetical VTOVL craft will carry more or fewer
passengers than a spaceglider? Will the propellant requirements for the VTOVL craft displace additional passengers than can be carried by a space-glider?

All of those questions are loaded btw.

wjbarnett · « **Reply #35 on:** 07/22/2013 10:07 pm »

I voted "if only I were Bill Gates"...not that I could be him. But I'd have to be nearly his level of richness to have $250K sitting around... Or hit the lottery perhaps...

happyflower · « **Reply #36 on:** 07/22/2013 11:32 pm »

Went with the Gates option.

So I dont have to be that rich to go, but by that choice I mean rich enough that $250K will not be a burden. If you are rich enough to not look at $250K as a burden then by all means, seeing our planets curvature will be an amazing experience.

But Sub-orbital is not as interesting as orbital. I would take option 1 if it was $250K for a ride around the Moon and back. That experience will be out of this world (sorry about the pun).

Bubbinski · « **Reply #37 on:** 07/23/2013 02:24 am »

I'd go in a heartbeat. If I can swing the fare, at some point in the future, I will go aboard VG or some other flight. Even if it's suborbital. As long as it gets past 62 miles.

spectre9 · « **Reply #38 on:** 07/23/2013 02:29 am »

So does everybody get wings like Binnie and Melvill?

Do you have to pay extra for that?

QuantumG · « **Reply #39 on:** 07/23/2013 02:45 am »

You get wings.

Poll

Would you pay $250,00 to travel to space via Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo?

Author Topic: Would you pay $250,000 to travel to space via Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo? (Read 54302 times)