The race to launch the first commercial passenger flight into space is heating up: a company called AERA has signed an agreement with the US Air Force according to which it will use the services of the launch base at Cape Canaveral
The race to launch the first commercial passenger flight into space is heating up: A company called AERA has signed an agreement with the US Air Force to use the services of the launch base in Cape Canaveral, Florida to launch this planned flight in early 2006. This will be the first paid tourist space flight and the company announced that it will be ready on time for its execution. Next month she will unveil the space vehicle for this mission in New York. The launch will be carried out on a rocket called Altairis.
On the other hand, the millionaire Richard Branson, the owner of the Virgin airline whose subsidiary, Virgin Galactic, wants to engage in space tourism through a revolutionary aircraft plans to start its commercial flights in low orbits in space in 2007 or 2008. She hopes Until then get a license for her space vehicle Space-Ship-1.
The US Aviation Administration published a few days ago its regulations for obtaining a license for commercial flights of passengers in space, as well as the methods of supervision thereof. At the end of the month, an open public hearing on these issues will be held in Washington.
As far as is known, more than ten companies have their eyes on this new market. In 2002, a forecast was made according to which in 2021 we should expect tourist flights in space, in low orbits (that is, not in satellite orbits) where at least 15 thousand people will fly a year.
The contract between AERA and the US Air Force talks about the use of launch pads, landing tracks, surveillance facilities such as radar and communication, and also the ability to destroy such an aircraft if there is any malfunction, control over it will be lost and it will threaten to cause a disaster in a populated area.
It is already known that the space vehicle planned by the company will have six seats for tourists who will pay for the pleasure. The estimate: Ticket price per passenger: $99,500. During the flight, they will be able to watch from windows during the vertical take-off and during the cruise in space at a height of 120 km above the earth, ten times the height at which the jumbo planes currently fly.
By the way: Virgin Galactic estimated that its flight ticket would cost 200 dollars per passenger - although it is already clear to it that in view of the competition, it will be forced to discount. So far 7000 people have expressed their desire to be space tourists and signed up for flights through the Virgin Galactic website. Another company called XCOR Aerospace has started publishing ads for the sale of flight tickets in its space vehicle "Zeros" its name - the price of the ticket is 98 thousand dollars and it designates a maiden flight in 2007.
