Virgin Galactic Unveils SpaceShipTwo Interior Design

Future passengers aboard Virgin Galactic spaceliners can look forward to cushioned reclining seats and lots of windows during suborbital flights aboard SpaceShipTwo, a concept interior of which was unveiled by British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson Thursday.

"It won't be much different than this," Branson told reporters here at Wired Magazine's NextFest forum.

"It's strange to think that in 12 months we'll be unveiling the actual plane, and then test flights will commence right after that."

Virgin Galactic's spaceliners will be specially outfitted SpaceShipTwo vehicles built by Mojave, California-based Scaled Composites and veteran aerospace designer Burt Rutan.

The new spacecraft, designed specifically for space tourism, will be three times the size of Rutan's SpaceShipOne, which won the $10 million Ansari X Prize for privately-developed piloted spacecraft capable of reaching suborbital space twice in two weeks.

The air-launched SpaceShipTwo is designed to seat eight people - six passengers and two pilots - and be hauled into launch position by WhiteKnightTwo, a massive carrier craft currently under construction by Scaled Composites, Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn said.