First commercial spaceship to be unveiled

by Greta Kaul

            The world's first commercial spaceship will be unveiled to the public Monday.

            SpaceShipTwo, soon to be christened The V.S.S. Enterprise, (short for Virgin Space Ship), has been under secret development by Virgin Galactic for two years, according to National Geographic.

            After more than a year of ground and flight tests, the business-jet-sized Enterprise will carry six passengers and two pilots at a time, National Geographic said.

            Around 300 clients have made deposits or bought $200,000 tickets to ride on Enterprise for 2.5 hours, which includes five minutes of weightlessness, the Associated Press said.

            Virgin Galactic plans to spend over $400 million on a fleet of five commercial spacecrafts and launch vehicles in the coming years, according to the AP.