Ashton Kutcher Buys Ticket to Space

Ashton Kutcher has become the latest celebrity to shell out $200,000 for a ticket off the planet. The actor has been confirmed as the 500th customer to buy a ticket to space on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, MSNBC reports. Other customers reportedly include Tom Hanks, Katy Perry, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Stephen Hawking, who has been offered a free ticket by Virgin founder Richard Branson.

"I gave Ashton a quick call to congratulate and welcome him," Branson said in a blog post. "He is as thrilled as we are at the prospect of being among the first to cross the final frontier (and back!) with us and to experience the magic of space for himself." No date has been set for SpaceShipTwo's maiden commercial flight, but if tests go well, Branson plans to take his family to space as a Christmas present this year, paving the way for flights in 2013. (More Virgin Galactic stories.)