SPACE TOURISM
For almost 20 years, Space
Adventures has created unique and previously impossible opportunities for
private citizens to experience space. As you may know, private agency has
arranged eight spaceflight missions to the International Space Station (ISS)
with their clients traveling over 36 million miles. Along the way, they also
arranged several “firsts” in space tourism starting with, well, the First Space
Tourist – in 2001! Private agency have also arranged for:
- The
first African in space;
- The
first female space tourist;
- The
first space tourist to go more than once;
- The
first second generation US astronaut;
- The
first clown in space.
And now, they’re partnering with
SpaceX for another “first of its kind” mission opportunity. The Dragon/Falcon 9
reusable system has consistently impressed the aerospace industry.
So, what’s the mission?
Agency offering the
chance of a lifetime to launch aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to
low-Earth orbit (LEO). We know that some people like to push boundaries and may
be thrilled to orbit Earth in the autonomously-piloted Dragon. The spacecraft
will be launched by the Falcon 9 rocket – same transportation system that will
transport NASA astronauts to the space station.
Agency previous clients visited
the ISS, which is an amazing destination in LEO. But we want to offer our
clients a choice and ability to find a mission that satisfies their desires, so
for this mission agency removed the visit to the ISS. This mission is another
step forward in our ability to offer different spaceflight experiences.
Instead of visiting the ISS, this
mission will provide up to four individuals with the opportunity to break the
world altitude record for private citizen spaceflight and see planet Earth the
way no one has since the Gemini program.
Agency believe this is an ideal
mission for those seeking a simplified spaceflight experience and don’t have a
large contingent of science to accomplish in space.
Here’s what it means:
- The
training time for the mission is greatly reduced. Training will focus
solely on the Dragon spacecraft which requires minimal crew control. And
the training will be conducted in the USA, which we know is appealing to a
lot of our potential customers.
- Because
there is no docking with the ISS, we can reach a significantly higher
altitude. Higher altitude means passengers will see much more curvature of
the Earth and far greater area of Earth outside the window.
- There
are fewer constraints on the schedule and less complicated logistics. So
this gives our clients a little more control of the schedule.
How many people can go
The mission can accommodate up to
four people. Our clients will determine the final number. Obviously, the price
changes depending on the number of people launching.
What’s the price?
The price for this mission is in the same range as
past private orbital spaceflights. We can’t say more than that as it depends on
who chooses to participate and the make-up of the participants. If you are
interested in learning more, and when appropriate are prepared to demonstrate
your financial capability, then contact us for more information.
How long is the mission?
There are a number of factors to
consider. Technical considerations determine the upper bound of what is
possible – likely 3-4 days, but potentially up to 5 days, but the rest will be
determined in consultation with our clients and SpaceX.
Not only are we excited to share
with you this mission opportunity with SpaceX, but there are additional
spaceflight windows of opportunities opening now as well.
