Virgin Galactic shows off spacecraft cabin interior

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic on Tuesday gave the world a virtual tour of the cabin interior of its spacecraft that would take ultra-rich passengers on suborbital trips into space. The company said that 600 people had already paid $250,000 (€213,316) each for the journey that would allow them to float weightless against the backdrop of the Earth below.

Virgin Galactic showed the highly detailed amenities that would be available to the passengers aboard the spacecraft — a part plane, part rocket called SpaceShipTwo. Each flight will carry six passengers, who will be clad in space suits designed by Under Armour. Once the craft hits the lower reaches of space, those onboard will be allowed to leave their respective seats and float around the cabin.

All seats have been designed to comfortably seat one individual for G-force management and float zone volume. The company has added personal seat back screens for all spots in order to connect passengers to live flight data at all times.

There are 12 windows surrounding the seats, which allow those onboard to get a clear view of the Earth as they float across the cabin. The company has also added "mood lighting" to walk the passengers through all phases of their journey to space.

SpaceShipTwo is slung beneath a special jet plane and released at high altitude. After a moment of free fall, the pilots ignite the rocket and the craft pitches up and accelerates vertically at supersonic speed. The rocket shuts down but momentum carries the craft into the lower reaches of space where it flips upside down so that the windows on the roof of the cabin give a view of the Earth below.

Virgin Galactic has placed great emphasis on the presence of 16 cameras that will document the passengers' journey to space. There is also a large mirror at the rear of the cabin, which gives the astronauts an analog reflection of themselves floating through space.

While SpaceShipTwo was developed at the company's facilities in Mojave, California, all commercial operations will be carried out from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico. Before the journey, all passengers will undergo days of training. A spot on the flight is not cheap, but the company says its long-term goal is to make the journey more affordable.