Sir Richard Branson has turned down a £500,000 bid to shoot a sex flick on his first Virgin Galactic space flight.

X-rated movie producers in the US wanted to film the hardcore porn aboard his shuttle due to take off in 2010.

But the billionaire owner of the world’s first “spaceline” vetoed the zero-gravity grope.

A Virgin Galactic source said: “We’re true to our name.”

Tickets for the White-KnightTwo craft – called Eve and due to carry six passengers next year – have been on sale since 2005 at £110,000.

So far 280 people including Princess Beatrice and Stephen Hawking have paid deposits.