Space Adventures, Ltd. is the only space tourism company currently providing human space mission opportunities to the world marketplace.[1]
Background
Eric C. Anderson is the president and CEO of Space Adventures. He co-founded Space Adventures in 1998 with several other entrepreneurs from the aerospace, adventure travel and entertainment industries and has managed the company over the past several years, selling more than $250M in space tourist flights.
The company's advisory board includes Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, Shuttle astronauts Sam Durrance, Tom Jones, Byron Lichtenberg, Norm Thagard, Kathy Thornton, Pierre Thuot, Charles Walker, Skylab/Shuttle astronaut Owen Garriott and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachev. [2]
Space Adventures offers a variety of programs such as the availability today for spaceflight missions to the International Space Station and around the moon, Zero-Gravity flights, cosmonaut training, spaceflight qualification programs and reservations on future suborbital spacecrafts. In April 2001, it sent American businessman Dennis Tito to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz spacecraft for a reported $20 million payment, making him the first space tourist in history.[3] South African businessman Mark Shuttleworth did the same in April 2002,[2] becoming the 'First African in Space'. Gregory Olsen became the third private citizen to travel to the ISS in October 2005,[2] followed by the first female space tourist, Anousheh Ansari, who completed her 10-day orbital mission in September 2006.[4] Charles Simonyi, an ex-executive at Microsoft who managed the Office product group became the world's fifth space tourist in April 2007.[2] In 2008, Richard Garriott, the 1st second-generation U.S. astronaut and pre-eminent game developer, became Space Adventures sixth orbital space client to travel to the ISS.
In 2009, Charles Simonyi became Space Adventures first repeat client to launch to the ISS. Additionally, Space Adventures has intentions to launch the first ever private mission to space.
Space Adventures acquired Zero Gravity Corporation in January 2008.[5]
Clients
Dennis Tito
Space Adventures’ first orbital spaceflight client and the world’s first private space explorer launched to the ISS in 2001. American businessman Dennis Tito received comprehensive training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City in Russia. His participation in Space Adventures’ other programs, including a Zero-Gravity flight, centrifuge training and the supersonic jet flight to the Edge of Space, is what ultimately inspired him to take the final step. “When I reached 2.5 times the speed of sound and saw the curvature of the Earth below and the dark sky above, I knew I wanted to keep on going,”[6] said Tito after completing his flight in a MiG-25, the world’s fastest and highest flying operational aircraft.[citation needed]
Mark Shuttleworth
‘First African in Space’ Mark Shuttleworth and his two crewmates, Russian commander Yuri Gidzenko and Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori spent 10 days in space. They took off on a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on April 25, 2002. Prior to his flight, Mr. Shuttleworth completed Space Adventures’ Orbital Pre-Qualification Program and underwent almost eight months of training and medical exams, including a one-week orientation program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. A Zero-Gravity flight, centrifuge training, and spacecraft communication, guidance and control system lessons of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and ISS were also required. “Space Adventures has been invaluable in supporting me on this long journey towards the realization of my dream of spaceflight. This flight is a personal challenge and adventure, and it’s an opportunity to encourage students in South Africa to embrace mathematics, science and technology,” said Mr. Shuttleworth.
Gregory Olsen
Dr. Olsen completed over 900 hours of training in Star City, Russia in preparation for his mission. While aboard the ISS, he participated in a research program prepared by the European Space Agency that studied the human body’s response to the microgravity environment. Through Amateur Radio on the ISS, Dr. Olsen was also able to connect with high school students in New Jersey and New York via HAM radio signal to discuss his experiences while in orbit. “The experience was more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. I have a newfound sense of wonder seeing the Earth and stars from such an incredible perspective. It was an unforgettable experience that I am truly grateful for and will relive in my mind for the rest of my life,” said Dr. Olsen. [7]
Anousheh Ansari
Anousheh Ansari lifted off on the Soyuz TMA-9 mission with commander Mikhail Tyurin (RSA) and flight engineer Michael Lopez-Alegria (NASA) on September 18, 2006 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Ansari became the fourth (and first female) space tourist. The space craft docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday September 20, 2006. Ansari landed safely aboard Soyuz TMA-8 on September 29, 2006 on the steppes of Kazakhstan with U.S. astronaut Jeffrey Williams and Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov.
During her eight day stay on board the International Space Station, Ansari agreed to perform a series of experiments on behalf of the European Space Agency. She conducted four experiments, including: Researching the mechanisms behind anemia, how changes in muscles influence lower back pain, consequences of space radiation on ISS crew members and different species of microbes that have made a home for themselves on the space station.[8]
Charles Simonyi
Dr. Simonyi was the first repeat orbital spaceflight client of Space Adventures'. His first spaceflight mission was in 2007 and his second was in 2009. Dr. Simonyi’s mission to the ISS was the latest destination in a life defined by exploration and discovery. Dr. Simonyi had several goals for his spaceflight mission that included: advancing civilian space travel, assisting with space station research, and involving youth in the science of space travel. His website, www.charlesinspace.com, was an interest to space enthusiasts of all ages. Over the course of six months, the site brought in over 33 million viewers. “Seeing the space station for the first time from inside the Soyuz was such an unforgettable experience. Seeing the Earth from space, so beautiful, majestic and calm, has filled me with great optimism,” said Dr. Simonyi.[9]
Richard Garriott
On October 12, 2008, Garriott became the second second-generation space traveler and the first offspring of an American astronaut to go into space, and the second person to wear the British flag in space. The Soyuz docked with the station on October 14, and Garriott returned to Earth on October 24 aboard the Soyuz TMA-12 with two members of Expedition 17, cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergei Volkov. Garriott is the first second-generation space traveler.[10]
Guy Laliberté
Along with professional astronauts Jeff Williams and Maksim Surayev, Laliberté successfully reached orbit on September 30, 2009 aboard the Soyuz TMA-16. He is the first ever Canadian space tourist. While in orbit, Laliberté plans to promote the One Drop Foundation. He will also be conducting the first ever artistic and social event to originate from space that will take place on October 9th, 2009.[11] He will return to Earth on board Soyuz TMA-14.
Lunar Mission
This new mission offers the chance to travel to and circumnavigate the moon. It will last 8-9 days and will require 3 months of training. It takes 2-3 days to approach the Upper Stage (Block DM), 2-3 days to approach the moon, there's approximately a 45 minute observation of the moon from 100km-1000km above the moon’s surface, and will return to Earth in 2-3 days. [12]
Orbital Mission Explorers Circle
This program allows individuals to reserve seats on future orbital spaceflights. They have the option to fly to orbit as their schedule allows with preferential access to mission seats or they can opt to sell their seat to another private astronaut. Sergey Brin, co-founder and president of technology for Google Inc., has become the founding member of the 'Founding Explorer' group by placing a $5 million deposit on a future orbital spaceflight.
Space Adventures has established the Orbital Mission Explorers Circle to build a definitive consortium of future private space explorers who share a lifetime goal of orbital spaceflight or the investment therein. Space Adventures has initially created six ‘Founding Explorer’ positions in the Orbital Mission Explorers Circle, each of whom will have priority access to participate in future orbital space missions.
Explorer suborbital vehicle
The company, along with Prodea and FSA, is currently developing a suborbital space transportation system, called Explorer. The vehicle has been designed by Myasishchev Design Bureau, a Russian aerospace organization which has developed a wide-array of aircraft and space systems.
The Explorer aerospace system will consist of a flight-operational carrier aircraft, the M-55X, and a rocket spacecraft. It will have the capacity to transport up to five people to space.[13]
Spacewalk
On July 21, 2006 the company announced that it would begin offering a spacewalk option to its clients traveling to the ISS. The addition of the spacewalk, which would allow participants to spend up to 1.5 hours outside of the space station, would cost about $15 million and would lengthen the orbital mission approximately six to eight days. The spacewalk would be completed in the Russian designed Orlan space suit. The training for the spacewalk would require an extra month of training on top of the six months already required.[14]
Lawsuit
Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto is suing Space Adventures as his trip was canceled by them for medical reasons after he paid $21,000,000 and no refund was given. [15]
See also
References
External links
