SpaceX Aims to Launch Private Citizens into Super High Orbit
Summary
Canadian billionaire Guy Laliberte, founder of Cirque du Soleil, paid $35 million for a 10-day space station flight in 2009. Laliberte said from orbit that the flight it was “worth every penny and more.” The first private citizen to fly in space was Dennis Tito, a California businessman. "This historic mission will forge a path to making spaceflight possible for all people who dream of it,” said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX. Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos Blue Origin are both developing spacecraft to send private citizens to just beyond the border of space, about 80 kilometers above Earth. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Space Adventures.