Virgin Galactic to launch first commercial spaceflight

>>> VIRGIN GALACTIC WILL BE SENDING ITS FIRST COMMERCIAL FLIGHT TO SPACE ON THURSDAY. THE ITALY-BASED CREW WILL TAKE A 90 MINUTE JOURNEY. THEY WILL BLAST OFF FROM NEW MEXICO AND REACH AN ALTITUDE OF 55 MILES. TICKETS COST $450,000 PER PERSON. THE TRIP COMES AFTER VIRGIN GALACTIC COMPLETED ITS FINAL TEST FLIGHT LAST MONTH WITH TWO PILOTS AND FOUR PASSENGERS. FOR MORE ON THIS CBS NEWS SENIOR SPACE

CONSULTANT JOINED US FROM HIS HOME OFFICE JUST OUTSIDE THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. HOW ARE YOU? >> LIKE TO BE HERE. >> WALK US THROUGH WHAT THE DAY WILL LOOK LIKE ON THURSDAY. >> IT'S GOING TO BE AN EXCITING FIGHT FOR VIRGIN. THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS TOGETHER FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THEY HAD A FINAL FLIGHT BACK ON MAY 25th TO GET READY FOR

THIS FLIGHT AND NOW THEY ARE READY TO LAUNCH THREE ITALIANS THAT ARE SPONSORED BY THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT, TO AIR FORCE OFFICERS AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ITALIAN NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. THEY WILL DO MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH IN THE BRIEF PERIOD OF WEIGHTLESSNESS AND THE SPACECRAFT WILL ALSO HAVE THREE VIRGIN GALACTIC EMPLOYEES ON BOARD. TWO PILOTS AND THEIR CHIEF ASTRONAUT TRAINER. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS FLIGHT IS, AS YOU

SAID, IT IS THE FIRST TIME VIRGIN HAS ACTUALLY GOT PAYING CUSTOMERS ON BOARD. THEY ADVERTISE AT $450,000 PER TICKET PRICE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT MIGHT HAVE WORKED OUT WITH VIRGIN GALACTIC FOR THIS FLIGHT. IT IS CERTAINLY NOT CHEAP. THEY ARE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. THIS IS A MILESTONE FOR VIRGIN GALACTIC. >> WHAT IS THE MISSION BEHIND THIS SPACEFLIGHT? >> MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH. IT

IS ONE THING TO GO TO ORBIT. WE KNOW ABOUT THAT. THOSE ARE MORE EXPENSIVE FLIGHTS AND MUCH HARDER TO GET ON BOARD THAN THESE SUBORBITAL FLIGHTS BEEN LAUNCHED BY VIRGIN GALACTIC AND JEFF BEZOS HAS HIS BLUE ORIGIN. DURING THESE FLIGHTS YOU GET ABOUT THREE OR FOUR MINUTES OF WEIGHTLESSNESS AS THEY GO UP TO THE VERY EDGE OF SPACE AND COME BACK DOWN AGAIN. WHILE THAT DOESN'T

OPEN A COMMERCIAL SPACEFLIGHT SERVICE. HOW SOON WOULD THAT HAPPEN? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? >> IT WOULD DEPEND ON HOW THIS GOES, OF COURSE, BUT ALL ALONG THEIR GOAL HAS BEEN TO BE A COMMERCIAL SPACE LINE. THAT HAS BEEN THE PLAN ALL ALONG. IT TURNS OUT FOR THIS VERY FIRST FLIGHT IT IS GOVERNMENT SPONSORED ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD. WE THINK WE WILL SEE ANOTHER FLIGHT WITHIN THE

NEXT MONTH OR TWO AND THEY TALK ABOUT A CADENCE OF A FLIGHT PER MONTH. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT PUT DOWN PAYMENTS ON TICKETS THAT ARE WAITING TO GO. I THINK ONCE THIS GETS RAMPED UP , ASSUMING NO PROBLEMS, WE WILL SEE A STEADY CADENCE OF A FLIGHT FROM VIRGIN GALACTIC AND THEIR COMPETITOR BLUE ORIGIN. >> ALSO WITH THE LIMITED TIME THEY HAVE UP

THERE DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT MORE OF THESE TESTING -- THE AIR AND DIFFERENT CHEMICALS WILL HAPPEN WITH EACH ONE? WILL THAT BE THE CASE WITH THE FLIGHTS THAT COULD COME IN THE FUTURE? >> I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT.