A socialite who says she was promised a seat on a rocket trip to space has told how she is suing billionaire SpaceX boss Elon Musk for USD 100,000.

Ahu Aysal is a prominent Turkish socialite and the ex-wife of former Galatasaray S.K. football club chairman Unal Aysal, 81.

The Turkish tycoon’s former wife has reportedly claimed Musk has links to an earlier pioneer space tourism firm she had originally bought her ticket from.

Now she has told Turkish media: “They sold the company to Elon Musk. I’m in court with his firm.”

In fact, the firm she bought the ticket from – first known as XCOR Space Expeditions before going by XCOR Aerospace – was a rival to Musk’s SpaceX and went bankrupt six years ago.

Aysal added: “My USD 100,000 [GBP 81,600] is gone. Is USD 100,000 worth less now?

“They also provided training for the space trip. I travelled on aeroplanes in environments without gravity.

“I was disgraced with my money. They will either give me my money or send me into space.

“But I’m willing to go into space. I’d even go to Mars to stay. I’m not very normal.”

A decade ago, Aysal reportedly paid USD 95,000 (GBP 77,500) to what was then known as XCOR Space Expedition.

The company – based in California and the Netherlands – promised to develop private spaceflight and rocket engines.

It later became known as XCOR Aerospace and in 2017 it filed for bankruptcy.

Aysal said in 2012: “I am telling my grandchildren that they will be the first people whose grandmother travelled to space.”

She added: “I am very excited. There will be a serious preparation and training phase before the trip.”