Space Tourist

Hawaiian government officials are on the edge of passing two bills that would allow the state to set up a space tourism base plus establish a facility that will help to colonize the moon. Yes, these are lofty, yet realistic ambitions by those seeking another avenue in which to promote tourism in Hawaii.

Ten other U. S. states currently have permission from the Federal government to build spaceports. Hawaii is expected to be added to this list. Since space tourism is projected to be a $1 billion industry over the next 10 years, there will be plenty of money to pay for this venture.

And if that weren’t enough, Hawaii is expected on former Presidential hopeful New Gingrich’s ambition to colonize the moon. According to KSLA, “As if that weren’t lofty enough another bill expected to pass would build an International Lunar Research Park on the Big Island. The facility would help create robots designed to develop a colony on the moon and have the first human settlement on the moon within 10 years.”

So, there you have it. The countdown is clear. Space tourism is right around the corner and Hawaii is out of the starting blocks in this game.

The FAA has stated that the space tourism industry will take off in late 2013 or early 2014. That’s less than 2 years away, folks.

The FAA has also stated that it expects space tourism to be a $1 billion (that’s right with a “b”) in the next 10 years. But, tourists aren’t the only ones going to space soon.

According to Reuters, “Also on the horizon are commercial flights that reach at least 62 miles above the planet, an altitude that exposes passengers to a few minutes of weightlessness and a view of Earth juxtaposed against the black sky of space.

“In addition to tourism, suborbital spaceflights are being marketed and sold to research organizations, educational institutes and businesses that want to conduct experiments and fly payloads in space.”

So, there you have it. The head of the Federal Aviation Administration saying the sky is the limit (or not the limit) for space travel. And the clock is ticking down quickly.

A company called Space Miles has announced that they will be holding the first set of continuous space flight lotteries in the world. The idea is for potential passenger to buy a lottery ticket and the winners get a ride into suborbital space.

According to the press release, “Space Shuffle ticket prices have yet to be fully established but are unlikely to be more than $15.00 each.

“The prizes will include all travel and accommodation expenses and even provide an element of “spending money” to enable individual flight winners, (plus one
accompanying guest or partner), to fully celebrate their elevation to ‘Astronaut Status’.

“For Space Enthusiasts who don’t quite have their “Space Legs” The Space Shuffle intends to offer lower level prizes of ‘Edge of Space” and “Zero-G Parabolic’ flights.

“The number of prizes is unlimited and every time a winner is rewarded, the automated system will simply re-calibrate itself to zero and the competitions will begin again immediately.”

More information will be posted in the coming weeks here.

Employees of Virgin Galactic are starting to be relocated to Spaceport America in New Mexico. According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, “Virgin Galactic recently relocated U.K.-based staff to Las Cruces, advertised some new hiring and announced its leasing office space off Roadrunner Parkway – all signs of an operational ramp up in southern New Mexico that will continue throughout 2012.

“The moves are in preparation for the start of space tourism flights from Spaceport America just north of Do-a Ana County – possibly in 2013.

“But they’re also the most tangible signs of permanent, local job creation since Virgin Galactic – billed as the world’s first commercial spaceline – first courted New Mexico with its suborbital spaceflight proposal seven years ago.”

Virgin Galactic plans to hire locally whenever possible for both blue collar and white collar jobs. The company says those already living in New Mexico have preference.

When Spaceport America is up and fully operational (within the couple of years) there will be a least 200 employees on the payroll according to Virgin Galactic. In a time when this country needs jobs, jobs, jobs, this news can’t come too soon.

The Space Development Co-op is starting on a 25-year plan to build a “space city” capable of housing up to 2 million people. The Space City, once completed will not require any supplies from Earth and will be completely self-sustaining.

According to the website, “We have designs for a space habitat that will house 2 million people. This ‘space city’ will have all the conveniences of earth including gravity and large bio-diverse habitats that simulate the diverse fauna and flora of Earth. Each member will receive approximately 5000sq ft. of space for their own private residence within the city for their family.

“The habitat offers a simpler life style in a virtually pollution free environment. All capable persons are required to commit only a small amount of labor to the cause. A myriad of facilities will be available to all for fitness, hobbies, culture, workshops, research, sports and more.”

According to Space Development Co-op Founder Louis C. Gelinas, “We have designed a space habitat capable of sustaining about 2 million long term residents. It is a modification of the classic space wheel (actually 4 wheels) on a common axle.

“We have also designed a complete asteroid robotic mining and fabricating system. We are in early stages of development of a prototype miner, ProMiSe 1, that will prove ability to extract iron from an asteroid.”

Far-fetched or not? You decide but I like the idea that they are dreaming big and thinking outside the little box we call “Earth.”

With the race for space tourism now in a heated battle between different commercial agencies, NASA has had a sudden awareness. And that awareness is that sometime in the future tourists on the Moon may be trampling all over Neil Armstrong’s first giant leaps for mankind, literally.

The Google Lunar X-Prize will give $30 million to the first commercial flight to the Moon to send a robotic explorer. Doing figure 8’s and wheelies around where the Apollo astronauts once walked or left some valuable souvenirs is something that NASA doesn’t want to deal with anytime soon.

According to USA Today, “NASA isn’t expecting the sites to generate the kind of traffic we see at national parks on Earth, but the prospect of future tourists could affect plans to inspect the sites and artifacts in the future. So, the space agency released guidelines this summer on protecting lunar landing sites and artifacts. They call for a 1,200 acre ‘no-fly’ zone around the first Apollo 11 landing site, and final Apollo 17 one. Tourists could only walk within 82 yards of the Apollo 11 landing site where Neil Armstrong first took ‘One small step for man,’ on July 20, 1969, under the guidelines.”

Like a “Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone” (Elton John song), NASA doesn’t want the rocket men and women of the future trampling science, doing graffiti, leaving space garbage or any of the nasty things some tourists do here on Earth upon sacred space grounds.

Anyway, so far NASA hasn’t come out with the penalties for such a breach in space etiquette or even if they have to right to make such a no-fly zone according to the courts (does anyone actually own the Moon?). Stay tuned for future developments in regard to guarding the Moon.