Safety rules for space tourists would ensure safe travel

With plans underway for passenger space travel becoming a reality by the middle of next decade, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has started developing safety rules for civilian space flight.

According to a report in New Scientist, EASA has decided to develop the new rules after Sweden built a spaceport from which Virgin Galactic may offer flights into the aurora borealis, a major attraction for people. “Both (Virgin’s) carrier aircraft and the rocket-powered aeroplane/glider would meet the definition of an aircraft, and therefore fall under EASA’s scope,” said a spokesman.

The International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety also wants a United Nations-backed global agreement that mandates safety measures in space. A number of scientists are convinced that “space tourism” and “sub-orbital point to point travel” (SPTP) are on the point of becoming flourishing industries. … Continue reading …

The 4th annual ISPCS conference on October 22-23 (2008)

The 4th annual ISPCS conference, set for October 22-23, will feature a range of experts speaking on the growing importance of developing profitable business models for human and commercial space enterprises.

The conference, to be held in Las Cruces, NM, presents attendees with a valuable opportunity to network with hundreds of leading investors, vendors and industry experts from across the globe. After three years of rapid growth as the premier symposium for personal spaceflight opportunities, ISPCS has expanded to encompass the financial challenges and opportunities involved in taking humans and cargo into space.

Jeff Greason, President of XCOR Aerospace, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at ISPCS 2008. XCOR Aerospace recently performed the first public flights of its second-generation rocket-powered aircraft before a crowd of over 100,000 in Oshkosh, WI. The firm is currently building its third-generation vehicle called the Lynx, which will safely take two people to the edge of space. The Lynx, which will use environmentally-benign propellants and carry paying customers or scientific payloads, is scheduled to make its first flight in 2010. … continue reading …

U.S. Space tourist blasts off in Russian rocket

The U.S. video game magnate Richard Garriott went into space aboard a Russian rocket this Sunday (October 12, 2008) as his father, a NASA astronaut who traveled to space at the height of the Cold War, watched.

The Russian Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft lifted off in clear weather from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the Kazakh steppes just after 1 p.m., or 8 a.m. British time. Garriott, a video game developer from Texas, paid $35 million to fly into space alongside Michael Fincke, a U.S. astronaut, and Yury Lonchakov, a Russian cosmonaut.

Garriott’s father watched the launch through binoculars on an observation platform. Garriott’s girlfriend, Kelly Miller, burst into tears.”I am very happy for him. It is one of the things he really wanted to do,” Miller said as others opened Champagne to celebrate the successful launch. “I can see he is really enjoying it like a little kid in the candy shop.” .. continue reading …

Space Tourism: You’re Now Free to Float About the Cabin

The owner of Hurley Travel Experts explains why outer space is the next exclusive destination and why she’s one of a select few who can send you there.

Started by Pamela Hurley-Moser in 1993 in Portland, Maine, Hurley Travel Experts is the country’s largest full service travel agency that’s both female run and privately owned.

Her company is a part of the Virtuoso Network, an elite, members-only association of upscale leisure travel providers (only 1 percent of U.S. travel agencies are invited to join). This network offers Hurley-Moser access to exclusive travel incentives she can offer to her clients traveling anywhere in the world. Soon she’ll be sending clients out of this world, too! Starting in 2009, Hurley Travel Experts will be one of only 47 agencies in the country able to book Virgin Galactic Space travel. Hurley-Moser spoke to Inc.com (by email) about being the only woman-owned travel agency to earn this distinction. … continue reading …

Grounded space tourist wants $25 million refund

A Japanese businessman who trained for a 10-day flight aboard the International Space Station has sued to get his money back, claiming he was defrauded of $21 million by the US firm that arranged the venture.

Daisuke Enomoto, 37, had completed training in Russia and planned to fly to the station aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule in September 2006. But he was pulled from the three-member crew a month before liftoff, opening a seat for Dallas businesswoman Anousheh Ansari to fly instead.

Enomoto filed suit last month in the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, against Virginia-based Space Adventures, the space tourism company that plans to send its sixth paying passenger to orbit next month. … continue reading …

Mystery man joins commercial space race

An unidentified man from Perth’s southern suburbs has forked out $240,000 to be the second West Australian to buy a ticket on one of the world’s first commercial space flights.

The mysterious 60-year-old has delayed his retirement to pay for the Virgin Galactic experience, according to Virgin Galactic’s only WA agent Philip Smethurst.

“He’s just a regular guy, very down to earth who works in the public service and he is basically delaying his retirement by five years to pay for this trip,” Mr Smethurst said. “He said if ever in his lifetime he could go into space he would, regardless of the costs.” … continue reading …

Breaking a sweat for civilian space travel

Getting “out of this world” with civilian space travel is not quite as simple as you may think.

Aside from the obvious financial limitations which restrict space tourism to the rich and the ridiculously rich, there are also significant training programs and testing to be completed before proceeding to lift-off.

To gain a better insight into this training, well-known video game programmer and designer Richard Garriott, who is preparing for his own space adventure in October, has detailed what he and others have to go through in order to make it into orbit as a space traveler in a blog. … continue reading …

Andrew Nelson Joins XCOR As Chief Operating Officer

Former Banker Says Company’s Safety Record Speaks For Itself

Building rocket-powered vehicles to take people into space is not the usual career path for a Boston-based investment banker… but Andrew Nelson is not your ordinary gray-suited executive. A competitive sailor, Nelson has long charted his own course, and believes his future lies with Mojave, CA-based aerospace firm XCOR Aerospace. … continue reading …

Hollywood monster maker designs suits for travel in space

The 20,000-square-foot warehouse in North Hollywood, California, where Chris Gilman runs Global Effects Inc. is filled with costumes that turned movie actors into monsters, aliens, knights and astronauts.

Now Gilman, 47, is moving from reel space to real space. An Oscar winner for inventing a system that keeps costumes cool under hot lights, Gilman is designing spacesuits for Washington- based Orbital Outfitters. The company’s first client, XCOR Aerospace, is one of a dozen private businesses racing to make suborbital tourism a new category of luxury travel. … continue reading …

Galactic Suite offers journeys into space

A total of 38 people have now reserved a room in the Galactic Suite space hotel, 450 km. above the Earth’s surface. Four of those who have booked are Spanish, with eight Americans, seven from the Arab Emirates, six from China, five from Russia, five from Australia and three South-Americans.

The stay in space costs three million euros, which includes 18 weeks’ preparation on a Caribbean island, the journey into space and three nights’ accommodation in the orbital hotel. … continue reading