Chogy
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anyone from USA that can provide us with some info on that?
There are a couple, with Burt Rutans outfit being probably the most advanced.
They technically made it into space with this vehicle:
![219791629_4fc1dc55f9.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm1.static.flickr.com%2F82%2F219791629_4fc1dc55f9.jpg&hash=823deb54a2ab7f33c313d850268f9256)
![13p_boost_sm.jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hobbyspace.com%2FAAdmin%2FImages%2FRLV%2FScaled%2F13p_boost_sm.jpg&hash=03103003e2b1cf91c5f9bfbe1fbf1d2d)
The problem with the majority of these efforts is that the goal is a sub-orbital flight; no orbiting. Maybe 5 to 8 minutes of weightlessness, then you are done. Rutan's ship cannot handle a true re-entry like the shuttle. It'd melt and break up.
Still, people are lined up for these rides, and ready to pay big $$. Their stated goals are almost always "I want to be weightless, see the black of space, see the earth's curvature." But you can get all of that (and a lot more) with a $10,000 MiG-29 or Su-27 ride in Russia.
I think one day private companies will orbit, but it'll still be extraordinarily expensive. The cheapest right now is about $2,000 U.S. per kilo to orbit. Even assuming a private company can cut that by two thirds, it'll still cost over $50,000 to get a guy into orbit.