Virtuoso Insights - February/March 2009 - (Page 7) FINaL FrONTIer Micato would like to introduce a completely different type of “Rescue Package.” Safari! C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Out of this world: SpaceShipTwo berthed to its mother ship, Eve. profile of a pioneer The countdown to commercial space travel with Virgin Galactic has begun, and as preparations continue for the launch of SpaceShipTwo, the response has been out of this world. As of this publication, some 284 people have already secured tickets aboard the spacecraft, eagerly awaiting their chance to embark on the ultimate travel adventure. These pioneers range in age from 18 to 83, and hail from some 35 countries around the globe. Virgin Galactic’s first customers, known as Founders, recently undertook a two-day training course at the National Aerospace Training and Research Center in Philadelphia, where they experienced a space travel simulation that, using G-forces created by an STS-400 centrifuge, accurately recreates the sensation of the journey. Adding to the excitement: Two of Virgin Galactic’s Founders — a man and a woman in their late seventies — recently became world record-holders as the planet’s oldest people to pull 6Gs. Are you ready for liftoff? Virgin Galactic’s first passenger flights are expected to begin as early as 2010, and tickets are available exclusively through your Virtuoso travel advisor. Working together with a Virtuoso Accredited Space Agent, your travel advisor can make your dream of space travel a reality! Escape to one of the most splendid and serene places on earth. ( Your Virtuoso Travel Advisor can tell you more! ) Travel+Leisure “World’s Best” Tour Operator & Safari Outfitter 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008
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