Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson, right, celebrates the naming of mothership aircraft White Knight Two 'Eve' after his mother Eve Branson, left, at Scaled Composites hangar in Mojave, Calif.in Los Angeles Monday, July 28, 2008. More than 250 customers have paid $200,000 or put down a deposit for the chance to be one of Virgin Galactic's first space tourists. A date for the first launch has yet to be announced. (AP Photo/Stefano Paltera)

Virgin Galactic shows off mothership aircraft

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MOJAVE, Calif. (AP) -- Virgin Galactic is giving the world a glimpse of its secret space tourism program.

The spaceline trotted out the mothership aircraft Monday that will launch a still-to-be-built spaceship out of the atmosphere.

The early morning rollout in California's Mojave desert comes four years after SpaceShipOne became the first private manned rocket to reach space.

The White Knight Two aircraft will undergo flight tests this fall. The actual spaceship is still under development.

More than 250 customers have paid $200,000 or put down a deposit for the chance to be one of Virgin Galactic's first space tourists.

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