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Europe latest to unveil space tourism proposal
:: 24 June, 2007
Space is becoming less of a frontier, with
Europe's aerospace company becoming the latest to propose a way for ordinary people -- albeit those with deep pockets -- to experience spaceflight.
Astrium, the space systems arm of European aerospace company EADS, says it wants to build a four-passenger rocket-equipped jet to send space tourists to an altitude of 100 km (60 miles) above the earth for three minutes of weightlessness and a rare view of Earth's curvature.
News Inside News :
"We think there is a market for this, people are willing to pay," said Astrium's designer for the project, Jerome Bertrand.
At the Paris air show this week, Astrium's mock-up of the proposed spacecraft's front section showed specially designed seats that swivel to minimize discomfort for passengers travelling at three times the speed of sound. Astrium is seeking partners and hopes to be able to launch the project work next year, with the first space flights starting in 2012.
Once in space, the passengers can unbuckle to float around and gaze through any of the Astrium jet's 15 windows before the pilot guides the craft back to Earth.
The cost? As much as 200,000 euros (134, 507 pounds) for the flight, including a week's training.
Although steep, that is still a bargain compared to the $20 million that Russia charges for a seat on its Soyuz TMA-10 rocket for a trip to the International Space Station.
But next year, if preparations remain on schedule, Virgin Galactic, part of billionaire businessman Richard Branson's Virgin Group, will begin taking space tourists into suborbital space for $200,000 per ticket.
Virgin Galactic's six-passenger spacecraft is based on SpaceShipOne, which three years ago on Thursday took off from California's Mojave desert to punch through the atmosphere to become the world's first privately funded spacecraft.
Astrium's executive jet-sized craft is designed to take off from a normal runway, powered by two turbofan jet engines.
Once it reaches an altitude of 12 km (8 miles), it ignites a rocket derived from EADS Astrium's Ariane series burning liquid oxygen and methane to push the craft to 100 km above Earth.
Virgin Galactic's proposal is slightly different, where the craft is attached to a larger plane for take-off from the ground. It detaches at 50,000 feet (15 km) from the carrier aircraft before rocketing into sub-orbital space.
About Astrium :
Astrium is a global space industry leader, with world-class expertise and extensive prime contractorship experience across all sectors of the space business – a complete range of launch capabilities, orbital systems and manned space activities, satellite systems, payloads and equipment for a vast range of civil and military applications, and a wide portfolio of space-based services.
Astrium is associated with famous names in all aspects of the space adventure: from access to space with the Ariane launcher, weather forecasting and environmental monitoring with Spot and Envisat satellites, providing communications with Eurostar satellites, to exploring our universe with Soho, Mars Express, Rosetta, and progressing research for the future benefit of mankind with the ISS.
If you need further information please visit :
http://www.astrium.eads.net/company
About Virgin Galactic:
Virgin Galactic is the world’s first spaceline. Giving you the groundbreaking opportunity to become one of the first ever non-professional astronauts. Virgin Galactic will own and operate its privately built spaceships, modelled on the remarkable, history-making SpaceShipOne.
Virgin’s vast experience in aviation, adventure, luxury travel and cutting-edge design combined with the unique technology developed by Burt Rutan will ensure an unforgettable experience unlike any other available to mankind.
With safety at the forefront, our unique spacecraft is being designed at Rutan’s base in Mojave, California alongside a concerted research and development programme.
"The deal with Mojave Aerospace Ventures is just the start of what we believe will be a new era in the history of mankind, one day making the affordable exploration of space by human beings a real possibility." Richard Branson
It is these spaceships that will allow affordable sub-orbital space tourism for the first time in the history of the universe…
If you want to know more please visit:
http://www.virgingalactic.com/htmlsite/intro.htm
Release link: http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=974402007
