Budget space tourism launched

While excitement is building about the increasingly imminent prospect of space tourism following Virgin Galactic's successful test flights in March, the prohibitive $200,000 price tag makes this a final frontier too far for many would-be astronauts, so Skyscanner has announced the launch of cheap flights to space.

"The no-frills model has transformed air travel over the last decade, so it's no surprise a low-cost contender has emerged to make this market more accessible to all," said Skyscanner co-founder Barry Smith.

Low-cost space travel venture Copenhagen Suborbitals, based in Denmark, is taking such an approach in order to bring the cost of space travel back down to earth. Prices per trip have not been finalised but are anticipated to substantially undercut the Virgin Galactic fare. There will be no in-flight service - partly because the spacecraft can actually only accommodate one person - no baggage allowance and no seating - passengers will have to stand throughout the duration of the space flight, although "buttock and armpit support", will be available.

"We'd like to call this company the Ryanair of space travel but we can't - you don't have to pay extra for hold baggage. In fact you can't take any baggage at all," said Barry Smith.