# Gimmie a Ticket on a Space Plane **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 3, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmie-a-ticket-on-a-space-plane/329228 "2005-11-03T02:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmie-a-ticket-on-a-space-plane/329228/1 "2005-11-03T02:56:52Z")
[Sub-orbital flights on a modified Lear Jet.](http://www.thespacereview.com/article/486/1) > [@](#): > > TSR: Tell us a bit about SpaceShot. What are the basics of how it will work? > > Sam Dinkin: People will buy an entry that costs less than $5. They then compete in a non-dexterity skill game in order to win a flight on Rocketplane XP and get their astronaut wings. Rocketplane is an Oklahoma company that won millions of dollars in tax credits from Oklahoma after they raised $30 million. So they are finishing up a $40 million+ spacecraft development. Their spacecraft, Rocketplane XP, is a converted Learjet. They are planning to be first to market with test flights in 2006 and revenue flights in 2007. Check them out at [Rocketplane, Inc.](http://www.rocketplane.com/) I always wondered why someone didn’t modify a jet for use as a space plane, but figured that there were issues with weight, heat shielding, etc., etc., etc. Apparently they’re not as big a matter as I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmie-a-ticket-on-a-space-plane/329228/2 "2005-11-03T03:54:43Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > [Sub-orbital flights on a modified Lear Jet.](http://www.thespacereview.com/article/486/1) > I always wondered why someone didn’t modify a jet for use as a space plane, but figured that there were issues with weight, heat shielding, etc., etc., etc. Apparently they’re not as big a matter as I thought. I love your optimism, Tuckerfan. Unfortunately, I don’t share it. I’ve been seeing this kind of stuff my whole life and my dad was seeing it before I was born. When it happens I’ll be first in line, but until then I’ll remain skeptical of anyone offering commercial space flight. By the way, any word on what it will supposedly cost? They can’t be sending people up for the initial $5 entry. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmie-a-ticket-on-a-space-plane/329228/3 "2005-11-03T04:33:06Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I love your optimism, Tuckerfan. Unfortunately, I don’t share it. I’ve been seeing this kind of stuff my whole life and my dad was seeing it before I was born. When it happens I’ll be first in line, but until then I’ll remain skeptical of anyone offering commercial space flight. > > By the way, any word on what it will supposedly cost? They can’t be sending people up for the initial $5 entry. As a WAG, I’d say that they’d have to be aiming for the same price range as VirginGalactic, roughly $200K a shot. [VirginGalactic has already collected $10 million in deposits.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4365612.stm) BTW, it turns out that the M&Ms Melville released in the cockpit **were** product placement, and I wouldn’t be surprised if nearly the whole operation wasn’t going to be underwritten by advertising deals for the first couple of years. By cracking the X-Prize, Rutan & Co. have effectively repeated Lindberg’s transAtlantic flight, which lead to a boom in aviation. Already both VG and the runners up in the X-Prize have snagged not only tourists wanting to go up, but researchers wanting to send up experiments, since its longer microgravity than you can get on the Vomit Comet and it’s cheaper than a shuttle or rocket flight to orbit. Given that folks smell money, and we all know they’re willing to pour billions into the airlines even though most of them haven’t made a profit in ages, it seems certain to me that the _real_ space age is just beginning. Remember, the hardest part of doing something is figuring out how to do it the first time, once you manage that, the rest is easy. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimmie-a-ticket-on-a-space-plane/329228/4 "2005-11-03T17:17:38Z")
[Big 41-Year-Old Baby] But I wanna go to space noooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! [/BFYOB]