Free Trip to Space: Only 25 Million Frequent Flyer Miles
Velocity Rewards
Hang ten in the Sea of Tranquility
Here’s a credit card deal James T. Kirk would sign up for: a free trip to space. Australia’s Virgin Blue is offering customers the chance to win 25 million frequent flyer miles through it’s rewards program. If you’re the lucky one, you have the option to cash them in for a round trip ticket on Virgin Galactic, the world's first spaceline.
Virgin Galactic plans to own and operate privately built spaceships, modeled on the history-making SpaceShipOne built by Burt Rutan and Scaled Composites. SpaceShipOne was piloted into space three times, twice by Mike Melville and the third time by Brian Binnie to claim the Ansari X-Prize on October 4th, 2004. The spacecraft pioneered new design elements including carbon composite materials, hybrid rocket motors, and a unique wing feathering technique for re-entry that are making commercial space travel possible.
"The deal with Mojave Aerospace Ventures is just the start of what we believe will be a new era in the history of mankind, one day making the affordable exploration of space by human beings a real possibility," said Richard Branson.
If space travel is not on you to-do list, you could use your miles on other options like a “cheeky pair of Alfa Romeos,” the chance to explore the planet “how you see fit,” or a $170,000 shopping spree.
Posted Wednesday, Jul 15, 2009 - 11:27 AM EST
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