Hawking to be among first on Virgin Galactic

World renown physicist Steven Hawking plans on being among the first passengers aboard Virgin Galactic slated for launch in 2009. Richard Branson, Virgin owner, plans on doing everything within his power to help Hawking achieve his goal.

World renowned British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking wants to go to a place he has only theorized about in his long career: space.

“This year I’m planning a zero-gravity flight and to go into space in 2009,” he was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Hawking, 65, has said he hopes to travel on British businessman Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic service, which is scheduled to launch in 2009. The service will charge space tourists about $200,000 US for a two-hour, suborbital trip some 140 kilometres above the Earth.

Commercial space flight here we come! After the first few successful launches, traveling abroad will take on a whole new meaning.