Actor Ashton Kutcher is set to go into orbit after becoming the 500th customer to sign up for Richard Branson’s pioneering space ship, the British tycoon said. The newly-single star, who split from actress Demi Moore in November, is “thrilled” to join the line for the Virgin Galactic service, which is in its “final stages” of flight tests, Branson wrote on his blog. “I gave Ashton a quick call to congratulate and welcome him,” wrote the multi-millionaire entrepreneur, known for his trademark publicity stunts. “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.” Thirty-four year old Kutcher, who with his wife was a pioneer of social media, re-tweeted Branson’s message on his own Twitter feed, but didn’t make any other comment. Branson opened the world’s first-ever commercial spaceport in the New Mexico desert last October, having said the previous month that he hoped to launch the first flight within 12 months. Kutcher is best known for TV shows including ‘That 70s Show’ and ‘Punk’d,’ and last year replaced troubled actor Charlie Sheen in the popular comedy ‘Two and a Half Men.’
