Can we make it a one-way ticket? Please?

• Simon Cowell: I will blast Britain's Got Talent winner into space -- Daily Mirror

Simon, 52, even pledged to join them. “I would go on the spaceship myself. I love the idea that, if they are up for it, they have the option of performing in front of the whole planet in space.”

OK. DEFINITELY a one-way ticket, then.

A promotional video for Virgin Money featuring SS2:-

Doug Messier has some interesting speculation on Branson's business methods:

• Richard Branson: Building an Empire on Other People’s Money - Parabolic Arc

SEN profiles the Virgin Galactic programme:

• Virgin Galactic, towards space -- SEN

Virgin Galactic is starting to move employees to the Las Cruces, New Mexico area in preparation for the start of operations at Spaceport America:

• Virgin Galactic ramping up activity - Las Cruces Sun-News
• Our View: Virgin Galactic: Moving workers is good sign -- Las Cruces Sun-News

From a recent review article by Leonard David:-

But still to come is a key step: powering SpaceShipTwo via its hybrid rocket motor. That motor will provide the needed oomph to fly space travelers to the edge of space on a suborbital trajectory.

"We expect a big 2012," said George Whitesides, the CEO and president of Virgin Galactic.

The main milestones relate to flight testing, Whitesides told SPACE.com. "We plan to integrate the rocket motor into the spaceship, do our first powered flight and, after some additional flights, we plan to go to space."

• Spaceflights Get Ready to Board Business Class - NYTimes.com

George Whitesides describes the Virgin Galactic passenger experience:

• What $200,000 ticket to space buys you - El Paso Inc

(Source: Scaled Composites)

Fire: 08
Date: 29 November 11

Objectives:
Perform eighth full scale flight design RM2 hot-fire
All systems evaluation
Modified pressurization schedule
Fuel formulation evaluation
Nozzle evaluation
Motor structural evaluation
Valve/injector performance evaluation

Results:
All objectives completed. Performed 10 second and then 58 second hot fires.

Virgin Galactic has posted a guide for users intending to use SS2 and WK2 for research flights:

• Conducting Research on SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo: Payload Opportunities - Virgin Galactic
• Payload Users' Guide (PDF)

A Singaporean man books an entire SpaceShipTwo flight for a family outing... and doesn't tell his wife: Singapore family books $1M space flight -- AFP/France24

A wealthy bachelor is looking for the perfect space date: Your space or mine: Gotham Dating Partners to send first dating couple to space -- PRWeb