Europe Unveils New Space Plane for Tourist Market

mrminator writes to tell us Space.com is reporting that Europe's largest space contractor, EADS, has just announced their plans to build a new space tourism vehicle. The new rocket, powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen will carry passengers on a 90 minute round trip flight for somewhere in the neighborhood of 200,000 euros ($267,000).

Re:Liquid methane = bottled farts

[jollyreaper]

Liquid methane = bottled farts

Seriously, look it up, its science.

Thank God they used a different, imaginary technology in Star Wars.

C-3PO: Sir, it's quite possible this asteroid is not entirely stable.

Han Solo: Not entirely stable! I'm glad you're here to tell us these things.

[The Millennium Falcon, under siege, won't start]

Princess Leia Organa: Would it help if I got out and farted?

Han Solo: It might.

Re:Cheap Thrill

[L. VeGas]

$200,000 isn't that much to many people, so a target of 4,500 customers per year by 2020 seems reasonable.

Quite right, young man. I spend more than that in a week on fresh orchids and chewing gum.

Jeeves, fetch me my spats and pour me a brandy. I'm headed to the sky! Oh, and replace those twenty dollar bills in the lavatory with hundreds. The twenties are too scratchy.

Is It Just Me...

[Kozar_The_Malignant]

Or does this thing look too much like the Planet Express ship for comfort.

Re:Is It Just Me...

[Jonathan_S]

Or does this thing look too much like the Planet Express ship for comfort.

Sure, just like the Planet Express ship. Aside from the shape (doesn't have the "chin" of the PE ship), the proportions, the giant wing, the canards, the two jet engines, the lack of ventral fins, the lack of the top turret, and the lack of the gratings near the rocket.

Aside from those tiny insignificant details it is a dead ringer for the Planet Express ship.

Re:For that much money

[aegisalpha]

You're hoping for a happy ending? I believe that's 50 grand extra.

Pricing

[mqduck]

The new rocket, powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen will carry passengers on a 90 minute round trip flight for somewhere in the neighborhood of 200,000 euros ($267,000).

How much for one way?