Exclusive: Scot behind space tourism project wants more countrymen to sign up

Jul 27 2008 By Heather Greenaway

STAR Trek's Scotty kept the Starship Enterprise on course as it steered its way through the final frontier.

But it looks like his heavily-accented "aye, aye cap'n" will be the only Scots brogue to be heard in space.

More than 250 space tourists from every country in Europe - except Scotland - have signed up for the first commercial lunar flights.

The Scots businessman behind the galactic day trips is disappointed none of his countrymen want to go.

Will Whitehorn, of Edinburgh, said: "It really suprises me but there is still time before the first flight takes off."

Will, 48, who is responsible for turning Sir Richard Branson's space flight plans into reality, said: "Taking tourists into space is the biggest breakthrough since the Apollo landings.

"People from around the globe are queuing up to take part.

"We have sold tickets to every European country except Scotland.

"Flights will take off from Mojave in California but discussions are under way about a European space port based at RAF Lossiemouth in the Highlands.

"That would make it even easier for Scots to become space travellers."

Will has sold 258 £100,000 tickets for the first Virgin Galactic space tour in 2010.

He has millions of pounds in deposits, another 600 people have agreed to put their money down when the programme starts and 85,000 have registered interest.

Celebrities booked up include designer Phillippe Starck, Dallas actress Victoria Principal and movie director Bryan Singer.

Will, who will be on board the spaceship's test flights, said: "£100,000 may seem a lot but it costs the same to climb Everest.

"We hope the prices will come down after the first five years.

"Passengers who board the two and a half hour flight, will travel 400,000ft above the Earth and experience the darkness and weightlessness of space."

In California tomorrow, Will and his Virgin Galactic teamunveil the mothership WhiteKnightTwo, which will carry the tourist craft SpaceShipTwo up into space. The ceremony will be attended by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Richard Branson and legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

Will, who lives in Sussex with wife Louise and children Rose, 17, and Angus, 15, learned to fly as a teenager. He was an RAF cadet at Edinburgh Academy and became a search and rescue pilot in the North Sea.

He joined Virgin in 1987 and became president of the new firm, Virgin Galactic, in 2002.

Will said: "I can't believe I will one day be flying into space.

"Some days I have to pinch myself to make sure I have not stumbled on to the set of a movie blockbuster."

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