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Private Company Plans $100 Million Tour Around the Moon
NYT ^ | Aug 10, 2005 | JOHN SCHWARTZ

Posted on 08/09/2005 6:08:13 PM PDT by summer

One day after NASA brought the shuttle Discovery back from low Earth orbit, a private company plans to announce a more audacious venture, a tourist trip around the Moon.

Space Adventures, a company based in Arlington, Va., has already sent two tourists into orbit. Today, it is to unveil an agreement with Russian space officials to send two passengers on a voyage lasting 10 to 21 days, depending partly on its itinerary and whether it includes the International Space Station.

A roundtrip ticket will cost $100 million.

The space-faring tourists will travel with a Russian pilot. They will steer clear of the greater technical challenge of landing on the Moon, instead circling it and returning to Earth.

Eric Anderson, the chief executive of Space Adventures, said he believed the trip could be accomplished as early as 2008. Mr. Anderson said he had already received expressions of interest from a few potential clients....

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: arlingtonva; maoists; privatespace; spaceadventures; spacetourism; spacetravel; taoists; touists; tourists
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Wow! The future is really here!
1 posted on 08/09/2005 6:08:14 PM PDT by summer
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To: All
Also from article:

...Mr. Anderson said the timing of the announcement was not meant to tweak the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ...

"I just love the idea of demonstrating that things can be done for less money than people thought, and paradigms can be shifted," he said. "Space flight can be opened up."
2 posted on 08/09/2005 6:09:56 PM PDT by summer
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To: summer
Will they be giving out scholarships? My wife wouldn't approve of me spending 100M$ for this.
3 posted on 08/09/2005 6:11:20 PM PDT by crazyhorse691 ( Heaven on Earth is where the nearest Starbucks is 60 miles away.)
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To: summer

(digging for change under the sofa cushions)


4 posted on 08/09/2005 6:11:33 PM PDT by isthisnickcool (Get all the incumbents out of politics!)
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To: summer

What's the cost for steerage, one way?


5 posted on 08/09/2005 6:11:34 PM PDT by Coyoteman
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To: summer
A roundtrip ticket will cost $100 million.

Wow. I'm sure I have that kinda change lying around here somewhere!

Oh wait...I don't think I'm interested in floating the Russian Space Agency. Enough of my tax dollars do that already.

6 posted on 08/09/2005 6:11:53 PM PDT by Prime Choice (E=mc^3. Don't drink and derive.)
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To: summer

What's the cost for steerage, one way?


7 posted on 08/09/2005 6:11:57 PM PDT by Coyoteman
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To: isthisnickcool

ROTFLMAO....I'm thinking a lot of celebrities will want to do this trip!


8 posted on 08/09/2005 6:12:12 PM PDT by summer
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To: RightWhale; Brett66; xrp; gdc314; anymouse; RadioAstronomer; NonZeroSum; jimkress; discostu; ...

9 posted on 08/09/2005 6:12:26 PM PDT by KevinDavis (the space/future belongs to the eagles --> http://www.cafepress.com/kevinspace1)
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To: Coyoteman

I'm thinking ROUND trip only on this trip...


10 posted on 08/09/2005 6:12:39 PM PDT by summer
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To: isthisnickcool
(digging for change under the sofa cushions)

Hope there's a Russian/English dictionary in their, too...

Quoting from the article:
"The space-faring tourists will travel with a Russian pilot."

Translation: you'll be paying the Russian Space Agency and flying via the Russian Space Agency.

Calling it a "private enterprise" is a joke.

11 posted on 08/09/2005 6:14:23 PM PDT by Prime Choice (E=mc^3. Don't drink and derive.)
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To: summer
A roundtrip ticket will cost $100 million.

One way tickets aren't really an option in this case.

12 posted on 08/09/2005 6:14:30 PM PDT by HumbleButExceedinglyAccurate
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To: summer
I'm thinking ROUND trip only on this trip...

No pioneering spirit. What, can't you hold your breath for long periods?

13 posted on 08/09/2005 6:15:00 PM PDT by Coyoteman
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To: Prime Choice

Read the whole article; it's quite interesting.


14 posted on 08/09/2005 6:15:25 PM PDT by summer
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To: Coyoteman

LOL...


15 posted on 08/09/2005 6:15:48 PM PDT by summer
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To: summer

"Mr. Anderson said he had already received expressions of interest from a few potential clients...."

Let's see, 100 million divided by 3 or 4.
Well, that puts it in that much more affordable at $25 - 33 million range.
Count me in ;)


16 posted on 08/09/2005 6:16:45 PM PDT by bwteim (Begin With The End In Mind)
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To: summer

Can we put some liberals in a garbage scow behind this craft and just leave them circling the moon? They are lunatics anyways?


17 posted on 08/09/2005 6:17:19 PM PDT by lexington minuteman 1775
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To: lexington minuteman 1775

Great idea, but make them pay to help defray my costs, first.


18 posted on 08/09/2005 6:18:25 PM PDT by bwteim (Begin With The End In Mind)
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To: summer

What are they going to use - a beefed-up Soyuz?


19 posted on 08/09/2005 6:19:58 PM PDT by Fitzcarraldo
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To: Prime Choice
Calling it a "private enterprise" is a joke.

Capitalism do have her ways, though. Even for commies.

20 posted on 08/09/2005 6:20:38 PM PDT by numberonepal (Don't Even Think About Treading On Me)
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