Virgin Galactic aims to launch people into space in future

US space tourism venture Virgin Galactic has formed new partnerships with Italy's biggest aerospace companies, Altec and Sitael, to someday launch passengers into space.

The plan is to build a new passenger spaceplane and launch it from a future Grottaglie Spaceport in Italy, making Virgin Galactic the first such group to do so, The Verge reported.

The company already has a spaceplane called VSS Unity which does not have a set date for passenger flights. However, hundreds of enthusiasts have deposited USD 250,000 for a ticket.