IT MAY not be building the rockets, but one North East company is helping lay the foundations for a company that's got its eyes on the stars.
Virgin Galactic has already sold tickets for sub-orbital space flights and aims to become the first commercial spaceflight operator in the world.
The project, which is backed by entrepreneur Richard Branson, recently turned to Newcastle-based Claremont for important support services.
Claremont travelled to Virgin Galactic’s Half Moon Street headquarters in London to pitch for the work, which is one of a number of recent wins for the consultancy.
Managing director Stephen Crosby said: “As a growing technology company, we are thrilled to be working with a business with such exciting plans for the future and are delighted for the opportunity to play a small, but not insignificant, part in opening up the final frontier to tourists.”
Virgin Galactic was announced in 2004 and is looking to provide sub-orbital space science missions, satellite launches and orbital human space flights.
Would-be astronauts must have at least $200,000 in their back pocket if they want to participate and the project has faced delays while safety issues are being fine-tuned.
Even so, 500 tickets have apparently been sold worldwide, with about 15% coming from Asia.
Virgin Galactic initially plans to take passengers on three-and-a-half hour flights, which will include a period of weightlessness.
Slightly closer to home, Claremont is planning to expand its roster of clients even further in the next year. The firm is an expert in implementing the Oracle E-Business Suite, which it says helps to make companies more efficient. It will provide support for Virgin Galactic as it beds in its Oracle Financials system.
Annual sales at the company were up to £12m in 2011 and it was one of four North East firms to appear on the Sunday Times’ 2011 Tech Track 100 list of the fastest-growing technology companies in the country. Claremont also has offices in Surrey and in the USA. It employs 75 people but hopes to increase this number.
