The SpaceShip Company, It's A Go..........

US export control regulations have been waived or cleared in respect to Sir Richard Bransons bid to take paying passengers to space.

Export issues
The project was threatened earlier this year by US export control regulations, which prohibited British participants from even looking at designs produced by Mr Rutan's firm, Scaled Composites.

Virigin Galactic however finally received a licence and that not only cleared the way for full participation in the project, but also enabled the firm to become a part-owner of a new venture, called The SpaceShip Company.

This looks like good news for sub-orbital space flight, and a boost for private space flight in a general way. The restraints are being removed and it looks like anyone with a solid plan (and money) will be able to get off planet.

The cost to experience four to five minutes of weightlessness is about $200,000 (£113,242).

As you can see, it won't be cheep. And I find it interesting that they will build two mother ships that are the size of 737's.

Mr Rutan's firm plans to build two mother ships, each about the size of a 737, to carry SpaceShipTwo vehicles into the sky.

I would think it would be less expensive to modify a carrier from a current airframe.
Anyway, I will be following this as it progresses because I just love this stuff.

news.bbc.co.uk...

One more note, a bigger carrier means that they will have a bigger SpaceShipTwo, and that will allow them to carry more passengers.