Space Tourism
Space tourism is a recent phenomenon where
wealthy individuals or corporations are spending up to $25
million for a chance to travel in low Earth orbit (LEO) and
beyond. California multi-millionaire Dennis
Tito spent $20 million on space tourism to become the
first paying tourist, in 2001. Tito, the founder of Wilshire
Associates and former JPL scientist, traveled aboard a Russian
Soyuz capsule, launched by U. S. company, Space
Adventures, Ltd, where he spent 7 days aboard the International
Space Station (ISS).
Space tourism has become a bigger goal over the past few
years as NASA has announced they are cutting down on the ventures
and the Shuttle will be retired in 2010.
NASA hopes to rely on the commercial orbital transportation
systems (COTS) to shuttle astronauts and cargo to the ISS
thereafter and it looks like commercial craft will be available
by then.
If you've ever seen Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie "Total
Recall" you'll know that space tourism was a central
theme to that movie. But, space tourism is not just some pipe
dream as companies like Scaled
Composites, Blue
Origin, and SpaceX are
developing craft and programs to do just this.
Following Dennis Tito as the second to partake of the space
tourism industry, in 2002 was South African millionaire, Mark
Shuttleworth, who certainly was "shuttle worthy"
as he also spent around $20 million to travel aboard a Russian
Soyuz TM-34 and spend 8 days aboard the ISS.
Following Shuttleworth in 2005, was Greg Olsen, who spent
the same amount on tourism to travel to the ISS via a Russian
Soyuz capsule. And space tourism has not stopped there, as
the third fee-paying tourist, Olsen rejected the "tourist"
designation noting that he had conducted several experiments
while on the ISS. Olsen is co-founder and chairman of Sensors
Unlimited Inc., a company developing infared cameras and sensors.
In 2006, Iran-born American citizen Anousheh Ansari became
the fourth in the ISS tourism lineup and the first female
to buy a ticket in the space tourism industry.
Some have argued that John Glenn
in 1998 was the first official extraterrestrial tourist, but
others discount that claim since Glenn was a non-paying participant
in the flight. If you think also that space tourism is so
expensive that nobody will want to go, then think again since
there is a waiting list to be launched into LEO and aboard
the ISS.
Space tourism has been criticized as being a "playground
for the rich." And, while there may be some current truth
to this, the vision for the future is to make space tourism
affordable and available to the middle class in just a few,
short years. While 'N Sync singer Lance Bass may have fallen
short of cash and Madonna was voted down in her request, still
many companies are working on making suborbital flights affordable
to the general public.
Tired of Disneyland and Magic Mountain? Been to all the major
continents and want more? Done all of the extreme sports and
just can't get that adrenaline rush anymore? Space tourism
may just be the Next Big Thing on your agenda in the not too
distant future.
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Even Bigelow Aerospace
and the X-Prize Foundation are getting in on the act by
offering monetary awards for breakthrough technology in
the space tourism industry. By most estimates, space tourism
may be a reality as soon as 2009 or 2010. Just as there
was a "race to space" decades ago, now there
is a race to space tourism in this decade. And this race
will mean big bucks for some companies. |
So, if you've got the bug to travel and have always dreamed
of going beyond the confines of Earth, that possibility may
just exist sooner than you think. You'll have to wait a few
years to book your flight though as all of the details are
being worked out. Until, then come back to this site often
to see what others are doing to advance the space tourism
industry.
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