Space Ping! If you want on or off this list please Freepmail me.
Posted on 12/03/2005 10:51:38 AM PST by BenLurkin
LOS ANGELES - A new space age has begun, one in which travel beyond Earth's atmosphere is driven by consumer demand to experience space, rather than governmental or scientific goals. Such is the belief of a new breed of space entrepreneurs, many of whom are setting up shop in California.
"Eventually, we will get to the point where the minority user (of spaceflight) by far will be government" and the majority of users will be commercial consumers, said Peter Diamandis , chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation and the man behind the international Ansari X Prize space competition.
Diamandis moderated a panel discussion of the emerging personal spaceflight industry during the California Space Authority's "Transforming Space" conference this week.
"We are now living in a time when the technology and wealth to build complete space systems are available in individuals, in small groups … that's when things get interesting," Diamandis said.
The successful flights of SpaceShipOne in Mojave last year demonstrated the capability for nongovernmental, manned spaceflight. The Burt Rutan-designed spacecraft and its astronaut pilots made three trips to suborbital space and back safely, claiming the $10 million Ansari X Prize in the process.
On the last of those flights, pilot Brian Binnie experienced the black sky of space, the floating sensation of weightlessness and the spectacular view of Earth below.
"It's like somebody's pulled back the stage curtain for your benefit only," he said. "There's blackness, magnificent and a bit of menace.
That experience will be available to a wider audience with the advent of "spacelines," offering tours into suborbital space and beyond.
One such company preparing to take flight in the coming years is Virgin Galactic, part of the Virgin Group founded by Sir Richard Branson.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
ping
$10MM divided by 33M reservations = ~$303 per reservation.
Space Ping Ping
ping
I havent seen all of the US yet. much less the world. I havent even thought of a trip to outer space although if any man deserves this trip its Chuck Yeager.
Going beyond the atmosphere is not at all what we mean by spaceflight. It never was what we meant. We mean going at least to the moon, and preferably to other planets--Mars, that is. These 60 miles up and right back again flights are a horrible joke. Even going into orbit is a horrible joke. Going to the moon is less of a joke, but serious spaceflight begins with regular service to Mars and back. Got to add the 'and back' part or there won't be any customers.
> ..service to Mars and back. Got to add the 'and back' part or there won't be any customers.
As long as there is at least some chance to stay there and survive, there would be plenty of customers.
Mars is several billion dollars short of survivable. Maybe a few trillion.
Always interesting, btw, how are Spirit and Opportunity these days?
Still ticking after 7 times there expected lifespan!
Amazing, they should order more. =o)
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