Tickets On Sale In Sweden For Space Tourism, Starting In 2012

think_nix writes "The local.se is reporting that, for around 200,000 USD, tickets for eager space tourists looking for that outer space adventure will be purchasable from the Sweden's Ice Hotel in Kiruna. The flights are planned to be run by Virgin Galactic, also allowing flights to be taken from New Mexico. The article further states that already around 300 tickets have been purchased."

DO NOT RTFA!

[biocute]

I tried to read the friendly article but got distracted by a Swedish bird-flipping girl and some chicks running in bikinis.

You've been warned.

Re:

[useless4321]

I don't know, what got me was "Nursing home residents taking too many drugs: report" further down the page. Nothing like mental images of 85 year olds getting stoned off their asses to brighten your day.

Re:

[Anti_Climax]

I can understand the warning for the swimmer flipping the bird but the shot of girls in bikinis seems fairly benign. Even in the sexually repressed USA, that's acceptable summer attire almost anywhere public.

Re:

[CmdrSammo]

Oh no!...members of the other sex!

Re:

[geekoid]

There's a third one now~

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh great now the server's going to be slashdotted.

Re:

[Anthony_Cargile]

DO NOT RTFA!

I don't think that should be a problem for most slashdotters

Re:

[fermion]

I tried to RTFA but it locked up browser. I head that those scandinavians has super efficient browser and hyper speed bandwidth, but wowsers. My computer and connection are so lame that it can't load a page. Would have been cool to see the bikini chicks. I guess I will just have to settle for page 3.

Re:

[aliquis]

I tried to RTFA but it locked up browser. I head that those scandinavians has super efficient browser and hyper speed bandwidth, but wowsers. My computer and connection are so lame that it can't load a page. Would have been cool to see the bikini chicks. I guess I will just have to settle for page 3.

Works perfect here.

But then I am a swede with Safari 4 beta.

Re:

[Quantos]

That's strange. Very very strange.

I'm on Vista with IE8 and it's working wonderfully.

Re:

[sukotto]

Space + Swedish bikini girls?

I consider that a win-win.

Re:

[againjj]

[...]and some chicks running in bikinis.

Now I've got to read it. I hope it's not bad karma to do so.

Luckily

[useless4321]

in 2012 $200,000 will be worth about $13 at today's rate.

Re:

[MassiveForces]

But this is exactly what I thought too! The rich know that eventually the USD will have to be devalued; this played a large part in destroying the Icelandic finance sector which expected that devaluation to occur in an immediate crash.

So now is probably the best time to buy!

Re:

[mysidia]

Yes, but the tickets (only available in limited numbers), barring an explosion of a highly-competitive space tourism industry, will cost a lot more than $200k, if you buy them in 2012.

Result = you get a huge discount, because you buy them so long in advance!

2012

[pwnies]

C'mon guys everyone knows that a.) sweden doesn't have a space program and b.) the world is going to end in 2012 anyway. How will they be able to deliver if we're all dea...
Ohh... I see. Well played Sweden.

Re:2012

[Anonymous Coward]

I know you are joking, but yes we do have a space program in Sweden. We are a member of ESA and we also have SNSB.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html
http://www.snsb.se/dyn_aktuellt.asp?languageId=2

Re:

[aliquis]

You can also study for a âoeMaster of Science with a Major in Space Engineeringâ up there:
http://www.info.umu.se/utbkat0607/program.asp?programkod=TRYPM [info.umu.se]

And eventual other courses/programs to.

Re:2012

[icepick72]

All that proves is you have space websites in Sweden. C'mon we're not THAT gullible!

Re:

[scottrocket]

"All that proves is you have space websites in Sweden. C'mon we're not THAT gullible!"

Oh yeah?

"The multimillionaire ex-wife of a Swedish tycoon has lost a large part of her fortune to a phony clairvoyant in exchange for a bottle of "holy water" and some pigeon feathers."

Oh come on-as an AmeriSwede, I know you Swedes can do better than that! Calling Penn & Teller, you're needed overseas.

Re:

[BollocksToThis]

we also have SNSB

Which, if I recall correctly from my childhood, stands for SWEDEY NATIONY SPACE BORK BORK BORK.

Re:

[mooingyak]

That is so cute!

Re:

[Quantos]

This got modded up?

We are all aware of this, at least the Canadian's are. We were taught this in school.
Apparently the people with mod points....
Well, you know...

Swedish space program since 1966

[G3ckoG33k]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esrange [wikipedia.org]

The launch list is pretty impressive and begins with 18 November 1966.

Re:

[Fluffeh]

*laughter*

Bork bork bork!

*more laughter*

Rutan rides again

[geek2k5]

With space technology by Burt Rutan, you don't need a lot of equipment to do a simple Earth to space and back again type flight. You just lease some American technology from a British company.

Re:$60 million

[geekoid]

People starve becasue they don't eat, duh.

Re:

[Sir_Lewk]

Let them eat cake, I'm going to the moon baby!

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[electrosoccertux]

Let them eat cake, I'm going to the moon baby!

If you would send them to the moon instead they could eat cheese [allforces.com].

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, damn those people that spend $200,000 on a ticket to space and have no money left to feed their family! Wait, no, damn Virgin Galactic for offering something several hundred people are willing to pay $200,000 for... No wait...

It's not like Branson is going to pile that $60M up in NM and set it on fire.

Re:

[robinesque]

How do you know that? Maybe you're him, and you're trying to throw us off your trail.

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[khallow]

That's a lot of money for a hopeful eventual space flight at some point in the future.

Not really. But hopefully, it'll be enough to get the ball rolling.

And people wonder why people starve.

I doubt it. As another replier noted, people starve because they aren't eating. That doesn't have anything to do with space tourism.

Re:

[Urza9814]

Uh, I think the billions the government is handing to overpaid CEOs and the trillions it's spent killing people for no reason have more of an effect on global poverty than a few millionaires buying some tickets to space. I mean, yea, 60 million is a lot, but it's _nothing_ compared to what the American government is throwing away _every month_.

Re:

[PhrostyMcByte]

At least that money is being circulated back into the economy now.

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[jschen]

For what it's worth, the promise of an outer space joy ride nowadays is a bit more realistic than Pan Am's promise of a future moon trip was in the 1960s, when it started taking reservations for the moon trip.

Haven't you noticed the *Trillions*

[Colin Smith]

There are not millions, not billions, but trillions going to the banks.

That's a millions * millions.

There was an estimate that it would take about 100 billion to end world hunger; Give everyone a roof, clean water.

And you're complaining about some joy riders... Are you taking the piss?
 

Re:

[Dachannien]

There was an estimate that it would take about 100 billion to end world hunger; Give everyone a roof, clean water.

That's assuming none of it gets intercepted by warlords. [jt.org]

I can blow $200,000

[WormholeFiend]

It's not like anyone is going to come collecting that debt after the end of the world anyway

The swedish currency

[Goateee]

I hope some of this space tourism benefits the swedish public, because this recension has taken its toll on the swedish currency (krona). The dollar costs about 8 swedish krona now, from about 5.5 a few months ago. Relative to the dollar, I have lost about half my fortune! $60 000 000 sure would be good for our economy, but who in their right mind would spend money on space trips in this economic climate?

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[DerekLyons]

$60 000 000 sure would be good for our economy

If you're lucky, $60,000 will stay in your economy - most of the ticket price will go to Virgin Galactic.

Re:

[khallow]

I want a piece of that too. And I hope the swedish economy kicks in something for me too. It's kind of a pain that you guys aren't contributing to my personal stash. That really needs to change.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

AIG Bonus dilemma solved!

[2phar]

Just pay them with with one-way Virgin Galactic tickets instead of cash!

Fund raiser

[palmerj3]

Anyone interested in starting a fund raiser to buy Sarah Palin one of these tickets?

I'll believe it when people fly

[damburger]

You know those 'experience' packs you can buy in shops? I saw one of them (with a picture of the space shuttle on the front no less) in WH Smith in the UK about 4-5 years ago. It was priced at £100,000 and had on the back a disclaimer saying it didn't actually garuntee you would in fact be able to fly in space.

I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't even have a valid barcode on it (who the fuck spends £100,000 in WH Smith?) - it was placed on the shelf as a gimmick.

Re:

[meringuoid]

You know those 'experience' packs you can buy in shops? I saw one of them (with a picture of the space shuttle on the front no less) in WH Smith in the UK about 4-5 years ago. It was priced at £100,000 and had on the back a disclaimer saying it didn't actually garuntee you would in fact be able to fly in space.

The Russians have been offering space tourism services for quite some time now. Not sure what £100,000 would get you, but orbital space tourism is priced highly enough that you can

Re:

[damburger]

Nope, it wasn't a parabolic flight or anything like that, it was a genuine option to fly above 100km at some point within five years after purchase. A total gimmick.