Spacing Out with Space Tourism
July 21st, 2009 by Kay Dover
Ever daydreamed about bouncing around in zero gravity or sipping on Tang as planet Earth floats by your window? If you haven’t, it’s time to start; space travel is not as far off as you’d think.
Monday marked the 40th anniversary of the U.S. moon landing, and it’s downright impressive to think how far we’ve come. Besides the hundreds of astronauts (and cosmonauts) who have launched themselves into orbit, about a dozen civilians have also flown among the stars, including journalists, members of Congress, princes and businessmen. And while the cost of such a journey is still pretty out-of-this-world, space tourism enthusiasts predict that the industry will become increasingly accessible in future years. Here are just a few of the space-cases involved in the latest race:
"Look, Mom! No gravity!"
The Space Tourism Society is a non-profit organization out to make space tourism a real option for as many people as possible and as soon as possible. Among other projects, they want to create an “orbital lifestyle” by combining NASA technologies with a high-end recreation experience to create luxury cruises in space!
Space Adventures has sent half a dozen rich people up in Russian Soyuz spacecrafts. These days they’re working on the first civilian trip to the moon, with tickets expected to cost a mere $100 million! They also offer suborbital and orbital flights for civilians, as well as (for those on a slightly tighter budget) Earth-bound zero-gravity flights.
Of course, Virgin CEO Richard Branson is in on this, too. Inspired by the groundbreaking SpaceShipOne which, in 2004, became the first privately-funded spacecraft out of the Earth’s atmosphere, Virgin Galactic is developing a fleet of privately built spaceships. While tickets are currently being pre-sold for around $200,000, Branson hopes to eventually make space tourism an affordable option for all of us.
Not ready to cough up the cash for a visit to the Space Station? For rougly $5000, you can experience zero-gravity without ever leaving Earth’s atmosphere. The Zero G Corporation’s simulation flights take place on a tricked-out Boeing 727 and depart from a handful of U.S. locations each year, including Las Vegas and Cape Canaveral, FL. Weightless Weddings (seriously!) are also available.
Read all the latest news about space travel on the Space Travel site!
[Photo by jurvetson from Flickr.]
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Great photo!