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Did you dream about becoming an astronaut when you were a
kid? Maybe you watched a Space Shuttle launch on TV, or saw cartoons like the
Jetsons or Marvin the Martian and thought that you, too, would travel into
outer space. Well, now you can. In fact, any one can make this momentous
journey without becoming a pilot or engineer, and without years of NASA
training.
Sir Richard Branson is a man made famous by various business
ventures through his company, Virgin Group Ltd.. He's also made record-breaking
travel attempts, such as riding in the first hot-air balloon to cross the
Atlantic and becoming the fastest person to cross the English
Channel in an amphibious vehicle. Now, Richard Branson is attempting
to set another record by becoming the first person to offer affordable space
tourism to the mass public.
Space Vacation
Today, the price for a traditional "space vacation" aboard
the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station costs approximately
$20 - 28 million. But Virgin Galactic, Branson's new business project, is
willing to offer anyone a trip to outer space for a mere $200,000. Yes, that's affordable
… as long as you mortgage your house.
The cost for such space tourism will include three days of
pre-flight preparation and training, and a 2.5 hour flight that will reach a
height of 360,000 ft. This is just a few miles over the boundary of outer space,
where you will experience weightlessness for approximately six minutes before
returning to Earth.
Spaceport America
There isn't a start date yet for these flights, but Virgin
Galactic has issued a statement saying that if all goes well, the flights
should start within two years. The first flights will be launched from the
Mojave Desert in California, but "Spaceport America," a space base in progress, will be
built in New Mexico
and serve as a base for all operations. Passengers will also be required to
pass a medical examination prior to the trip.
How Much Would You
Pay?
Space travel is something that's on my list of things to do
before I die - and since I'm only 19, I still have a long ways to go. Hopefully,
in the next 40 or 50 years, these flights will become so frequent and common
that the price will drop significantly. But even if they don't, I'd surrender $200k
for a trip to space.
Maybe that's just the kid in me talking, or the adventurer
in me, but the idea of being able to travel to a place where few have gone
before is so thrilling. Or maybe all of this is just me fantasizing, but you
never know. I can still dream.
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Re: Affordable Space Tourism?
