Virgin Galactic selling spaceflight tickets for $450,000

The news comes on the heels of Richard Branson's jaunt to the edge of space.

Those who wish to spend a few minutes at the edge of Earth's atmosphere will now have the chance -- if they have $450,000 to spare. Virgin Galactic, the private space tourism firm headed by billionaire Richard Branson, announced Thursday evening that it was officially reopening ticket sales. The announcement comes on the heels of a successful test flight last month in which Branson and a crew flew to the edge of space in a mission dubbed Unity 22. "Leveraging the surge in consumer interest following the Unity 22 flight, we are excited to announce the reopening of sales effective today, beginning with our Spacefarer community," Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement Thursday as the company announced second quarter earnings. "As we endeavor to bring the wonder of space to a broad global population, we are delighted to open the door to an entirely new industry and consumer experience."