When we were kids, how many of us dreamed of being Astronauts? Even if you are in the military, the chances of being accepted into the space program is remote at best...they only take the elite of the elite. Virgin Airlines is now in the space tourism business and you can book a flight today. Virgin Airlines honcho Richard Branson has launched a new company called Virgin Galactic which will operate flights that venture beyond the space barrier on a specially-built rocket plane. You can book your seat now for a mere $200,000. If you think that's too expensive, 475 people have already put down a $20,000 deposit to reserve a spot on one of these ground breaking flights.

Before boarding, passengers will have to spend three days in a special training facility in New Mexico. Those who make it through the training will board a carrier airplane with the SpaceShipTwo rocket ship slung underneath. It will take off from a runway, elevate to 50,000 feet and launch the rocket ship....are you feeling queasy yet?

Your trip will be a quick one, basically an up and down kind of thing with about five minutes of weightlessness at the highest point, then back to Earth. There will be no orbiting of the Earth, at least not yet.

Also, keep in mind there is a reason some candidates wash out of the Astronaut program....there bodies just can't take it. These trips are not for everyone, but boy what a kick in the pants that would be. See the program video below and a simulation video about how the flights might look.

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