What is the lower/middle/upper-middle/super-rich classes of Sirius?

[Wilfred]

A lot of people are saying that the ones in space are all upper middle class inRP because space travel in Sirius is still very rare but here's the thing: If space travel is for the education/upper middle class or rich because those people are inRP the only ones with the resources to actually get into space to begin with, then why are there space pirates?

You probably don't need a very high education to learn how to fly a spaceship. The theory of spaceflight isn't terribly complicated, and just as most people can learn to drive a car or pilot an aircraft IRL, most people in Sirius can probably take a spaceflight certificate at a reasonable cost. It's a specific skill set.

(You might even be able to learn on your own, as long as you're careful not to bump into things.)

As for getting your hands on a ship, I think most people would likely start out with a cheap second-hand one (like Trent did), and pirates would simply steal their ships.

Spaceships in Freelancer are often compared to cars, but I'd say it's more like personal aircraft or recreational watercraft. So the Starflier would be like an autogyro/gyrocopter, or a small Cessna. The Sunburst would be like a fishing trawler or similar small commercial ship -- a big investment, but one that can get you big returns.

That the criminal organisations in Sirius have their own shiplines isn't entirely realistic, but they are fairly old organisations. When they started out, they probably used stolen civilian ships which were retrofitted with stronger hulls and heavier weapons, and over time their fleets were expanded with commandeered corporate ships and salvaged military hardware. Eventually they would've gotten to the point where they could start designing their own ships. Having political aims would also be a factor in this.

You become a pirate to get money, why would you continue to be a pirate if you already have money?

Because you want to get more money.