Virgin Galactic , the space tourism company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson , has barred Chinese nationals from applying for spots on its first commercial flights . Cashed-up People 's Republic of China passport holders have reportedly been willing to pay the $ 260,000 fare for a spot on the inaugural Virgin Galactic space flight scheduled for later this year , but have been turned down in order to comply with United States anti-espionage laws , the South China Morning Post reports . Rocket engines on the Virgin Galactic craft -- named SpaceShip Two and WhiteKnight Two -- are reportedly considered military grade technology under Cold War U.S. arms trafficking laws . The legislation was designed to prevent foreign powers , such as China , from getting hold of U.S. military tech secrets . `` Both SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnight Two are U.S. technology and are therefore subject to U.S. regulations , '' said Winnie Chan , a spokesperson for a Virgin Galactic accredited partner in Asia . Chinese nationals with multiple passports or U.S. residency might be considered for a place on the space trips , Virgin Galactic said . Short -- but sweet ? Virgin Galactic has already accrued almost $ 70 million in deposits for spots on its space flights , according to the SCMP , the first of which is due to take place later this year . A ticket gets you a 110-kilometer trip into the atmosphere and six minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth . The cost of the tickets has been criticized as excessive for such relatively brief excursions . Virgin Galactic will be headquartered and launching its flights from Spaceport America , a planned epicenter of space tourism near the New Mexico town of Truth or Consequences . `` Come visit us ! '' says the Spaceport America website . No mention of nationality . CNN first learned of the story on Twitter . 20 most annoying things people do on planes .
U.S. anti-espionage laws bar Chinese nationals from Virgin space flights . The company is also under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration for its use of a Chinese-made rocket engine in one of its rockets that failed to meet safety standards and was later found to have been used Trips criticized as too short and too expensive .