Hamburg  - British entrepreneur Richard Branson has told a German magazine he will test-fly a joy-riding spacecraft this year.

Branson's company, Virgin Galactic, plans to take passengers to the verge of space, though not high enough to achieve earth orbit. The tourists will experience weightlessness for several minutes.

The take-offs are expected to be from the US state of New Mexico.

The magazine Stern reported Thursday that test pilots would try the mother ship, which flies to 15 kilometres' altitude, "in the next few weeks." In August or September, space rockets would be fired from the mother ship, aiming for an altitude of 110 kilometres.

"A few months after that I'll take my own family up on it and our missions will officially begin," said billionaire Branson, 58.

The space capsules are to glide back to earth at the end of the two-and-a-half-hour experience.

Virgin Galactic has said the tickets will initially cost 200,000 dollars per passenger, but will fall in price later. (dpa)