Space Tourist

Today, at approximately 10:30 am EST, the SpaceX Falcon 9 with its 9 Merlin engines helped propel the Dragon capsule into low earth orbit (LEO). The SpaceX Dragon and Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida as one of the first big steps in NASA’s COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) program.

The SpaceX Dragon orbited the earth at speeds up to 17,000 mph and was recovered in the Pacific Ocean, 500 miles of the California coast at approximately 2 pm EST.

According to SpaceX, “This marks the first time a commercial company has successfully recovered a spacecraft reentering from low-Earth orbit. It is a feat performed by only six nations or government agencies: the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India, and the European Space Agency.”

I find it a little curious as to what SpaceX means by this phrase since in 2004 Scaled Composites’ SpaceShipOne won the $10 million Anasari X-Prize by flying into LEO and back. Perhaps it is “recovered” that is the operative word in their statement.

No matter, since the SpaceX Dragon had a successful flight venturing where few have gone before but many in the future will be going within the next couple of years.

By 2014 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines expects to send frequent flyers of their airplanes into low earth orbit (LEO). KLM is partnering up with a couple of different companies to send frequent flyers with very high miles upon the XCor Lynx into suborbital space.

The XCor Lynx is a 2-seater rocket plane and the tourist will be sitting in the co-pilot position which will give them a unique perspective that they won’t be able to get from other space tourism spacecraft.

The entire flight is expected to last only 30 minutes with about 5 minutes of weightlessness when LEO is achieved. KLM is now negotiating with Space Experience Curacao, a space tourism company for tickets in the $95,000 range which is a deal compared to the $200,000 passengers will pay when flying upon the Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise (formerly known as SpaceShipTwo).

Then again both are a bargain compared to a trip to the International Space Station (ISS) which can run upwards of $20 million. If you’ve seen the movie, “Up in the Air” with George Clooney, you’ll soon realize the type of person that may accrue so many frequent flyer miles in order to be rewarded with a trip into space.

XCor sees this rewards program as the tip of the iceberg for the space tourism industry. Within the next 15 years it is expected that space tourism will be a billion dollar a year money maker for the companies involved.

XCOR Aerospace and United Launch Alliance have demonstrated successful piston pump tests. The piston pumps use cryogenic hydrogen (liquid H2) for high performance long life launch ambitions for their suborbital rocket the XCor Lynx.

The piston pumps being developed by the two companies can operate over a wide range of speeds and conditions. Rapid prototyping techniques have allowed the companies to develop the hydrogen piston pumps in just under four months.

One of the advantages of burning hydrogen is that the only byproduct is heat and water.

Now, I’ve already talked once about sex in space requests pouring into various space tourism companies, but now it is time to expand on the subject a bit. Now, the question is should a spaceplane, rocket ship for space tourists or even the International Space Station have a compartment for copulating couples? Even prisoners get conjugal visits, so why not give those people paying 100,000’s or even 1,000,000’s of dollars the same benefit?

On airplane, people for years have bragged about being in the Mile High Club. With the advent of space tourism, how about the 60 Mile High Club? Yes, people will want to float in space and experience weightlessness. That is a given. But even Homer Simpson knows that the basics of life boil down to eat, sleep, mate, repeat. And, if would behoove the budding space tourism companies to take this into consideration.

What is wrong with expecting a romantic interlude among the stars when in outer space? What could be more romantic than looking outside the rocket ships window and see the Moon 5 times its normal size? Even Jim Carey in the movie “Bruce Almighty” got this right.

So, the only question left to answer is, should the “romance room” be on the Virgin Galactic, the KISS (Kinky International Space Station) or the “Pocket” Rocketplane XP? You make the call.

Well, what would space tourism be without space travel agents? I had previously talked about one of Virgin Galactic’s first space travel agents Carolyn Wincer back in January 2008.

Now, I decided to have a conversation with Beverly Rother an accredited space travel agent also for Virgin Galactic who is based in Miami, Florida for an update on the state of the space travel agents for 2010.

I asked Beverly what it takes to be accredited by Virgin Galactic as a Space Agent? She replied, “I had to submit a written application with Virtuoso and Virgin Galactic, as well as with a phone interview with Virgin Galactic from the UK and I was lucky to be 1 of only 76 hand picked accredited space agents (ASA) who are authorized to sell space travel. I then had to go through 2 days of training & seminars with my fellow ASA’s and we then witnessed the historic world premier of the unveiling of VSS Enterprise in the Mojave Desert, CA on December 7, 2009. We have monthly webinars to be kept updated.”

I also asked Beverly, how she sees the space tourism industry evolving in the years to come? Her reply was, “Space tourism is now a reality. We have over 300 deposited reservations at this time and we expect approximately 500 people to travel the first year she flies. VSS Enterprise is now in full test regime for the next 12-24 months. Once she has safely passed all testing & US Regulations (Headquarters are based near Las Cruces, New Mexico at Spaceport America) we’ll be ready for take off. This is NOT a race, safety of our passengers comes first. This is only the beginning to travel into space.”

Here is some additional information about space travel with Virgin Galactic supplied by Beverly Rother:

“Once you’re confirmed with at least a 10-percent deposit (or higher levels depending when you want to go) you’ll receive a welcome pack and special insider updates, including special invitations to events with your fellow astronauts (such as the unveiling where 170 future astronauts were in attendance).

“Included is a 3-day training program at Spaceport America. There you’ll be issued a Phillippe Starck-designed space suite, undergo G-Force and possibly weightlessness training, full preflight training and learn all about your mission! You can even charger the spacecraft with your family, friends or special coworkers for a discounted rate.

“Each flight holds 6 astronauts who all have a window view, along with the 2 pilots onboard the spaceship. The spaceship is berthed to the Eve Mothership, which is a specially designed twin-fuselage jet airplane –and the world’S first commercial aircraft made out of 100 percent carbon composite material.

“After takeoff you’ll fly to 50,000 feet and hear the countdown. The spaceship releases and with it’s hybrid rocker motor accelerates you into a vertical climb which reaches Mach 1 (the speed of sound). Within 30 seconds you’ll be at Mach 3.4. After 90 seconds, the pilots cut the motors and the spaceship will continue to climb to 68 miles above earth, an altitude of 360,000 feet.

“Six miles above the space border, you’ll experience total silence – and Zero G for the next 4-5 minutes. Release your seatbelts and ENJOY this unique experience. You must then return to your seats and experience a thrilling 90 second reentry, peaking at nearly 6 G’s. The Spaceship’s wings have been ‘feathered up’ and will rotate back to their usual position to glide you safely back to Earth to collect your astronaut wings.”

If you have an inclination for a trip into space via Virgin Galactic then contact Beverly Rother for more info.

The Cecil Field Airport in Jacksonville, Florida will be doing double duty as a spaceport as well. Florida Governor Charlie Crist along with Jacksonville Aviation Authority leaders made the announcement about the licensing of the property to do horizontal launches of spacecraft.

The process of obtaining the proper licensing and permits took 4 yeas. The Cecil Field spaceport will be the first of its kind on the East Coast. The spaceport currently has a 12,500-foot runway which will accommodate spacecraft such as spaceplanes to take off easily.

According to the Daily Record, “Proximity to the ocean is another feature that makes Cecil ideal for the industry. After the spacecraft takes off from the launch site, it must wait until it is over the ocean before it can ignite its rockets to propel it into suborbital outer space.”

No longer does California and New Mexico have a lock on the space tourism industry as Florida has just joined the party as well. And, why not since one of the things the great state of Florida is known for is its Cape Canaveral launches. Houston, we have some competition, over.