Though several options and approaches are being studied for the spaceport in the UAE, Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company, expects thousands will take the suborbital spaceflight from Abu Dhabi.
“If approved, Virgin Galactic intends for the UAE spaceport to be the first international commercial spaceport, contingent on US regulatory approvals. The UAE spaceport will be a very desirable destination attracting people from all over the world to experience the unique view of earth from above the UAE,” a company spokesperson told Emirates24|7.
“It is anticipated that thousands of people will depart from Abu Dhabi on a memorable journey which will provide a life-altering perspective.”
Asked if any location for building the spaceport in the UAE has been identified, the spokesperson said that no specific site has been selected and several options and approaches were under consideration.
The company says construction duration will be a function of the selected location, approach and design of the spaceport.
“A general timeline for an Abu Dhabi spaceflight operation, contingent upon US regulatory approval, is a short number of years after the start of commercial operations in New Mexico, which is anticipated to begin in 2014.”
With regards to the cost of building the spaceport, spokesperson stated: “Spaceport costs vary depending on the location, infrastructure required, and activities planned for the facility. No decision has been made in terms of location or size and scale of the facility.”
Currently, 600 people from more than 50 countries have placed reservations. Celebs including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Ashton Kutcher are among those said to have bought $200,000 tickets.
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