TULSA, OK -- The countdown is under way for the launch of commercial spaceflights at Oklahoma's spaceport, according to the developer of a reusable launch vehicle.

Rocketplane Limited Inc. Vice President David Urie told the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority Wednesday the company will be the first in the nation with flights open to the public.

Spacecraft will be launched from Oklahoma's spaceport near Burns Flat by early 2007 with tickets costing up to $200,000.

"Experiencing space is the dream of a lifetime for millions," Urie said.

The Rocketplane XP launch vehicle under development will take off and land like a standard airplane but will feature a reusable rocket engine. Two passengers and the pilot will be able to travel 60 miles above Earth and experience zero gravity for several minutes.

"That's the 'Whee!' factor," said Urie, whose company motto is "Outer Space. It Can Change Your Inner Space Forever."

The 45-minute flight will be the centerpiece of a four-day package that will include health tests and training beforehand and a banquet afterward, Urie said. Customers will get to keep their flight suits and will receive a video documentary of all that took place.

"We intend to make it a five-star experience," he said.

Rocketplane plans to build three crafts, each launching at least 50 times annually.

Virginia-based Space Adventures, which has made a name for itself by coordinating trips for millionaires to travel on Russian rockets, is in negotiations with Rocketplane to buy a block of tickets to sell, Urie said.

It will be a contract valued at "tens of millions of dollars," he said.

As years pass, trips to space will become more affordable, Urie assured.

"We expect to take two directions with the business within three to five years after the initial launch," he said. "The first will be to offer the same trip for less money, and the other will be to offer more extravagant trips for more money. The sky's not the limit here."

Company officials chose the Oklahoma's spaceport at the old Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base because of its resources, including the nation's fourth-longest runway.

Engine tests will take place this summer, with flight tests beginning in 2006, Urie said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to grant the spaceport a space launch license in December, Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority Chairman Ken McGill said.

The state Legislature created the authority in 1999 to help lure a chunk of the world's $100 billion space business to the area. It also approved $15 million in tax breaks for Rocketplane.