Posted on 08/18/2005 7:13:21 PM PDT by KevinDavis
Space Adventures of Arlington, Virginia has sealed the deal on an exclusive marketing partnership with the Tokyo-based travel agency, JTB Corporation.
The agreement announced today opens wide the door for the Japanese to buy commercial treks into space and related experiences from Space Adventures.
JTB will market a wide array of programs available from Space Adventures, including the recently announced Deep Space Expeditions (DSE-Alpha) mission to the Moon -- the first in a series of lunar missions being offered. That mission could liftoff as early as 2008, according to a Space Adventures press statement.
The cost of trekking to the Moon, rounding it, and heading back to Earth is priced at a “circum-spectacular” cost of $100 million a seat, in U.S. dollars. Two commercial seats per would be available. More good news: A third seat is occupied by a pilot cosmonaut.
The mission would utilize a Russian-supplied, but beefed up Soyuz spacecraft, a design thoroughly shaken out via piloted and unpiloted testing.
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
Is there not something artificial and cheap about buying a ticket to be someone else's cargo - and then say you "did" something special?
Let's just hope the "Yellow Cabs", flush with their NEET-based mountains of Daddy's money, don't sign up for these en-masse, and flock to heavens in order to experience the thrill of a one-night stand with a Martian Guy. (some will catch this inside joke)
Does one of their new-fangled fembots come with the ride?
Does one of their new-fangled fembots come with the ride?
I guess all of those millions of people that flew on airliners and sailed aboard cruise ships feel that they didn't really have a cool vacation just because they are neither a pilot or captain nor did they build the plane or cruise ship. /sarcasm
Somehow you think that giving someone the title of astronaut qualifies them to be special merely because they draw a government salary.
Sounds mildly racist. I guess that just comes with the territory as a Gijin in Nipon land. :)
Far more than Lord Bullington writing a check and then calling himself an astronaught.
Astronauts typically underwent pilot qualification (that's not easy), or later had to be specialists in SOME area in order to do experiments on the shuttle. Only recently did they start putting "teachers in space" for political appeal.
If you own one of these, or drive one regularly, then you have bragging rights. Passengers should be silent....
Apparently you missed the Challenger accident, where Christa McCaulauf (sp?) would have been the first teacher in space. Apparently you missed FL Sen. Bill Nelson's joy ride into space back in the 1980s as well. NASA also sent up a UT Senator as well. They also sent up a Saudi prince.
I suppose that you have to be a NASCAR certified driver to drive your fantasy car as well, huh? /sarcasm
I specifically meant Christa.
"I suppose that you have to be a NASCAR certified driver to drive your fantasy car as well, huh?"
He or she would make a better driver than some rich dork who drives like Mr Toad. Fools crash their vehicles all the time, thinking they are skilled racers.
Apparently this subject of space tourism has been getting some play in the Japanese press recently. That type of media attention might be very effective in helping a marketing campaign.
about as much 'racism' in that as there are 'gijin's (sic) in Japan!
My point exactly. Apparently you missed the sarcasm.
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