Valley Native Building Commercial Space Ship

KFSN Aerospace designer Burt Rutan said, "I believe this program will be a key to the kind of progress that's made in the next decade for orbital flight. And it's just because it's aimed at large volume and it's aimed at doing it in a profitable way."

Branson and Rutan unveiled a model of what they call, "Spaceship Two" in New York. The pair also showed off a model of the big, four-engine jet that will help launch the craft into space and a video of how it works.

Within a few years, a handful of tourists who can afford the ride could blast off into space.

The ship is now under construction at a hangar in the Mojave Desert. Test flights will begin later this year.

About 200 prospective passengers have reservations for spaceship two at $200-thousand dollars each.