Boeing to offer flights to space station

CHICAGO, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- U.S. industrial giant Boeing said Wednesday passenger flights to the International Space Station could be up for sale soon.

"We're ready now to start talking to prospective customers," said Eric Anderson, chairman of Space Adventures, which would handle sales for a seat on the capsule that Boeing is currently developing for NASA, The New York Times reported.

Boeing said any seats NASA does not use would be available for passengers.

The price has not been determined, nor has the question of who gets a window seat, but there could be room for three commercial passengers above and beyond the four professional astronauts scheduled on each flight in the CST-100 capsule.

Several commercial passengers have made flights into space in Russian Soyuz capsules, with one seat sold to Cirque Soleil founder Guy Laliberte costing a reported $40 million.

The cost of a seat on Boeing's craft would likely be about the same.

Boeing said passenger flights could begin in 2015.