Space tourism is space travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. A number of startup companies have sprung up in recent years, such as Virgin Galactic, hoping to create a space tourism industry. Orbital space tourism opportunities have been limited and expensive, with only the Russian Space Agency providing transport to date.
The publicized price for flights brokered by Space Adventures to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft have been US$2035 million, during the period 20012009. Some space tourists have signed contracts with third parties to conduct certain research activities while in orbit.
Russia halted orbital space tourism in 2010 due to the increase in the International Space Station crew size, using the seats for expedition crews that would be sold to paying spaceflight participants. However, tourist flights are tentatively planned to resume in 2013, when the number of single-use three-person Soyuz launches could rise to five a year.[1][2][3]
As an alternative term to "tourism", some organizations such as the Commercial Spaceflight Federation use the term "personal spaceflight". The Citizens in Space project uses the term "citizen space exploration".[4]
As of September 2012[update], multiple companies are offering sales of orbital and suborbital flights, with varying durations and creature comforts.[5]
After early successes in space, much of the public saw intensive space exploration as inevitable. Those aspirations are memorialized in science fiction including ArthurC. Clarke's AFall of Moondust and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Joanna Russ's 1968 novel Picnic on Paradise, and Larry Niven's Known Space stories. Lucian in the 2nd century AD in his book True History examines the idea of a crew of men whose ship travels to the Moon during a storm. Jules Verne also took up the theme of lunar visits in his books, From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon. RobertA. Heinleins short story The Menace from Earth, published in 1957, was one of the first to incorporate elements of a developed space tourism industry within its framework. During the 1960s and 1970s, it was common belief that space hotels would be launched by 2000. Many futurologists around the middle of the 20th century speculated that the average family of the early 21st century would be able to enjoy a holiday on the Moon. In the 1960s, Pan Am established a waiting list for future flights to the Moon,[6] issuing free "First Moon Flights Club" membership cards to those who requested them.
The end of the Space Race, culminating in the Moon landings, decreased the emphasis placed on space exploration by national governments and therefore led to decreased demands for public funding of manned space flights.[7]
The Soviet space program was aggressive in broadening the pool of cosmonauts. The Soviet Intercosmos program included cosmonauts selected from Warsaw Pact members (from Czechoslovakia, Poland, East Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania) and later from allies of the USSR (Cuba, Mongolia, Vietnam) and non-aligned countries (India, Syria, Afghanistan). Most of these cosmonauts received full training for their missions and were treated as equals, but especially after the Mir program began, were generally given shorter flights than Soviet cosmonauts. The European Space Agency (ESA) took advantage of the program as well.
The U.S. space shuttle program included payload specialist positions which were usually filled by representatives of companies or institutions managing a specific payload on that mission. These payload specialists did not receive the same training as professional NASA astronauts and were not employed by NASA. In 1983, Ulf Merbold from ESA and Byron Lichtenberg from MIT (engineer and Air Force fighter pilot) were the first payload specialists to fly on the Space Shuttle, on mission STS-9.[8][9]
In 1984, Charles D. Walker became the first non-government astronaut to fly, with his employer McDonnell Douglas paying $40,000 for his flight.[10]:7475 NASA was also eager to prove its capability to Congressional sponsors. Senator Jake Garn was flown on the Shuttle in 1985,[11] followed by Representative Bill Nelson in 1986.[12]
Visit link:
Space tourism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Armadillo’s Level 2 LLC attempt coming soon? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Decisions, decisions [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Armadillo versus the weather [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Photos from Armadillo’s Saturday flights [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Armadillo Level 2 Flight 1 [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Meanwhile, elsewhere in the LLC race [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Masten gets halfway there [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Xombie photos (finally!) [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Is the media clowning around? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Galactic Suite “on schedule”? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Scientist Guest Column: Using Commercial Suborbital Spacecraft for Microgravity Chemistry Research [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Building Spaceport Infrastructure: An Overview of the STIM-Grants Program [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Five Years After SpaceShipOne’s Historic X PRIZE Flight, New Challenges Await [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Masten Space Systems Makes Successful Flights to Qualify for $150K NASA Lunar Lander Prize Level 1 [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Distinguished Former NASA Astronauts Endorse Commercial Spaceflight in Wall Street Journal Op-Ed [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- NASA Chief Praises Commercial Spaceflight, Suborbital Science, & Innovation Prizes in Speech [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- CSF Welcomes Strong Support for Commercial Human Spaceflight in White House Panel’s Report [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Commercial Spaceflight Federation President Bretton Alexander Appointed to the NASA Advisory Council [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- In November 5th Public Ceremony, NASA to Award $1.65 Million In Prizes for Commercial Spaceflight Successes [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- CSF Congratulates Winners of NASA’s $2 Million Lunar Lander Challenge [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Welcome to the NewSpace Journal [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Some things even Virgin can’t control [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- While you’re waiting for the rollout… [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- SpaceShipTwo rollout: initial impressions [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- A couple of pics [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- SpaceShipTwo slideshow [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- The Virgin party’s aftermath [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Investment in Commercial Spaceflight Grows to $1.46 Billion, Updated Industry Study Reveals [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Former Astronaut-Astronomer, Sam Durrance, Joins the CSF Suborbital Researchers Group [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Commercial Spaceflight Federation Announces Creation and Initial Membership of Spaceports Council [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- CSF President Bretton Alexander Testifies Before House Science Committee on Spaceflight Safety [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- CSF Vice-Chairman Jeff Greason Testifies Before House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Commercial Spaceflight Regulation [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Virgin Galactic Unveils SpaceShipTwo [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- So that’s why Aabar invested in Virgin? [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2009]
- More about the Virgin rollout aftermath [Last Updated On: December 17th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 17th, 2009]
- Space tourism as “the final undiscovered frontier”? [Last Updated On: December 17th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 17th, 2009]
- Orion Propulsion acquired [Last Updated On: December 17th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 17th, 2009]
- Spaceport America developments [Last Updated On: December 18th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 18th, 2009]
- XCOR wins a major customer [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2009]
- Centennial Challenges, Spaceport Infrastructure Grants, and Suborbital Science to Receive Funds from NASA and FAA [Last Updated On: December 22nd, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 22nd, 2009]
- Video tour of Spaceport America [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2009]
- Virgin’s web traffic planning [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2009]
- List of Speakers Announced for the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference in February [Last Updated On: December 31st, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 31st, 2009]
- Popular Science Features Commercial Spaceflight on January Cover, Discusses NASA Partnerships [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2010]
- Aviation Week honors the “Space Entrepreneur” [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2010]
- “The Space Entrepreneur” Named by Aviation Week Magazine As Its 2009 Person of the Year [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2010]
- Additional notes about Olsen’s book [Last Updated On: January 6th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 6th, 2010]
- Registration deadline approaching for suborbital science conference [Last Updated On: January 8th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 8th, 2010]
- NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver to Keynote the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference in February [Last Updated On: January 11th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 11th, 2010]
- Cecil Field gets spaceport license – but will anyone use it? [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2010]
- Training begins for suborbital scientist-astronauts [Last Updated On: January 12th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 12th, 2010]
- First Class of Suborbital Scientist-Astronauts Successfully Complete NASTAR Training Program [Last Updated On: January 14th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 14th, 2010]
- Is “space tour guide” in your professional future? [Last Updated On: January 17th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 17th, 2010]
- What can Florida, Indiana, and others learn from Oklahoma? [Last Updated On: January 17th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 17th, 2010]
- Virginia wants money, New Mexico wants laws [Last Updated On: January 21st, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 21st, 2010]
- Commercial Spaceflight Federation Responds to the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel’s 2009 Annual Report [Last Updated On: January 21st, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 21st, 2010]
- CSF Statement on NASA’s Anticipated Announcement of a $6 Billion Commercial Crew Program and NASA Budget Increase [Last Updated On: January 29th, 2010] [Originally Added On: January 29th, 2010]
- CSF Welcomes New NASA Human Spaceflight Plan, Congratulates Commercial Crew Development Winners [Last Updated On: February 1st, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 1st, 2010]
- NASA Unveils Commercial Human Spaceflight Development Agreements and Announces $50 Million in Seed Funding for Commercial Crew [Last Updated On: February 3rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 3rd, 2010]
- James Cameron Endorses Commercial Spaceflight, New NASA Plan [Last Updated On: February 4th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 4th, 2010]
- Newt Gingrich and Bob Walker Endorse Obama’s New NASA Plan, Urge Bipartisan Support [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2010]
- Blue Origin proposes orbital vehicle [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2010]
- CSF Announces New Research and Education Affiliates Program, Initial Participating Universities [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2010]
- CSF Welcomes Historic NASA Commitment of $75 Million for Commercial Suborbital Flights, Payloads [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2010]
- Suborbital vehicle development updates [Last Updated On: February 19th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 19th, 2010]
- Other conference announcements [Last Updated On: February 21st, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 21st, 2010]
- Bigger prizes to come? [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2010]
- Gov. Bill Richardson Endorses Commercial Spaceflight, Obama’s New NASA Plan [Last Updated On: February 23rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 23rd, 2010]
- Over 250 People Attend Next-Gen Suborbital Researchers Conference, 2011 Meeting Planned for Florida [Last Updated On: February 24th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 24th, 2010]
- Boston Globe, Nature, New York Times Editorial Boards Among Others Welcoming New NASA Plan [Last Updated On: February 25th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 25th, 2010]
- Commercial Spaceflight Federation Commends New Mexico for Passage of Key Liability Legislation [Last Updated On: March 2nd, 2010] [Originally Added On: March 2nd, 2010]
- Burt Rutan’s BigThink [Last Updated On: March 3rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: March 3rd, 2010]
- Brief notes: Soyuz, Virgin, and… iCarly? [Last Updated On: March 5th, 2010] [Originally Added On: March 5th, 2010]
- Commercial Spaceflight Federation 2009 Annual Report Highlights Industry Progress [Last Updated On: March 8th, 2010] [Originally Added On: March 8th, 2010]
- SpaceShipTwo flies, on schedule [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2010]
- SpaceShipTwo captive carry flight video [Last Updated On: March 23rd, 2010] [Originally Added On: March 23rd, 2010]
- Over the Mojave Desert, Suborbital Vehicles Take Flight [Last Updated On: March 28th, 2010] [Originally Added On: March 28th, 2010]
- See WK2 and SS2 fly in New Mexico this October [Last Updated On: March 29th, 2010] [Originally Added On: March 29th, 2010]
- SA10: Commercial RLV Technology Roadmap update [Last Updated On: April 9th, 2010] [Originally Added On: April 9th, 2010]
- An evolving Armadillo [Last Updated On: April 11th, 2010] [Originally Added On: April 11th, 2010]