Virgin Galactic has released spectacular footage from SpaceShipTwo’s second supersonic flight. The tail footage offers a unique glimpse of what anyone willing to cough up $250,000 per seat will see starting in 2014.

Last Thursday, Virgin Galactic successfully conducted the second rocket-powered, supersonic flight of SpaceShipTwo. Unlike its predecessor, SpaceShipOne, SpaceShipTwo is designed to carry passengers into space. Not only did the spacecraft reach its highest altitude and fastest speed ever, it also conducted a successful high-altitude deployment of the wing “feathering” re-entry mechanism.

Here’s a timeline of the SpaceShipTwo’s supersonic test flight:

• 8 a.m. – WhiteKnightTwo took off from Mojave Air and Space Port carrying SpaceShipTwo.
• SpaceShipTwo was released at an altitude of 46,000 feet.
• Upon release, the pilots used rocket power to propel the spacecraft to 69,000 feet.
• SpaceShipTwo achieved a maximum speed of Mach 1.43.
• 9:25 a.m. – The spacecraft and its test pilots landed in Mojave.

“We couldn’t be more delighted to have another major supersonic milestone under our belts as we move toward a 2014 start of commercial service,” said Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson after SpaceShipTwo’s successful test flight. “It was particularly thrilling to see for the first time today the whole elegant system in action during a single flight, including the remarkable feathering re-entry system. It was this safety feature more than anything else that originally persuaded us that the overall design of the system was uniquely fit for purpose. Everything we have seen today just confirms that view. Congratulations to all involved!”

Is anyone actually willing to pay $250,000 per seat to travel into space? Yes. Virgin Galactic notes that the company has received more than $70 million in deposits from about 580 individuals, which is about 10 percent more than the total number of people who have ever traveled to space. According to The Christian Science Monitor, Justin Bieber, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Ashton Kutcher and Tom Hanks have all reserved seats on SpaceShipTwo.

Virgin Galactic’s website notes that SpaceShipTwo is designed to carry six paying customers, or the equivalent weight in scientific research gear, on suborbital space flights. The company also notes that the spacecraft will give passengers a zero-gravity experience, as well as an amazing view of the planet from the black sky of space. The experience will also offer the perfect microgravity platform for researchers.

Although SpaceShipTwo has not yet reached the Kármán line (the altitude where space begins), the company is confident that it can recreate the success of SpaceShipOne with its latest design.

Will Virgin Galactic start taking tourists into space in 2014? Share your predictions in the comments section.