News Space tourism coming soon!!!

[martins]

If this was Ryanspace rather than Virgin Galactic, they could bring the price down by charging for the toilets ...

 

[T.Neo]

Launching SS2, or launching from SS2?

I might see value in the latter for sounding rockets etc, but SS2 is not an orbital vehicle- she'd burn up on reentry from orbtial velocities.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

XCOR are now taking reservations for flights aboard the Lynx spacecraft in early 2012, priced at $95,000!

 

[Krys]

If this was Ryanspace rather than Virgin Galactic, they could bring the price down by charging for the toilets ...

ROFL! So true - if they even have toilets!

 

[Lucy]

Actually, your oxygen budget is an added extra. If you don't want to pay extra, you can always hold your breath...

 

[Iberville]

It's very possible that in the next 20 years, suborbital flights will be much cheeper and that with more money, we'll be able to buy a stay in a Bigelow Aerospace Hotel style station in space carried by capsule like SpaceX's Dragon.

 

[N_Molson]

I like the circumlunar mission. If I had the money, I'd probably try that.

I wonder if the 2 or 3 years of training are included in the price ? Because from what I remember from the Zond program, the reentry is in the 6-9 G range Your heart has to be in good condition !

 

[Andy44]

A zero-g leap aboard a MiG-31 costs $15,000.

A zero-G leap in a Cessna 152 costs about $90.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

SPACE.com: "New Private Spacesuit Unveiled With New York Flair".

---------- Post added at 10:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:24 PM ----------

I actually have a plan to provide access to space for only ~$5000!

Picture a mini Space Shuttle-like glider, attached to some large, heavy-duty helium balloons.
You "launch" from the US East coast, ascend to 300,000 ft or so, and release some helium from the balloons to "hover". You then wait a few hours while the Earth rotates below you, until you are directly overhead the West coast. Then you release more helium to descend to 100,000 ft, jettison the balloons, and like just like the Shuttle! There shouldn't be too much aerodynamic heating descending from 100,000 ft. I reckon you could launch from NASA Wallops and land at Edwards AFB about ~5 hours later. The only cost for each flight would be the balloons plus the helium! I even have an idea to open a valve and let the vacuum of space suck all the helium out of the balloons, then winch the balloons into the glider so that they can be re-used. All you'd have to pay for then is the helium! A one-size-fits-all spacesuit would save costs (conveniently enough, a commercial one has just been released - see above post). Potential customers would be scientists looking for a quick, cheap way to expose experiments to microgravity, and, of course, space tourists! Would you pay Branson $200,000 for 5 mins. in space, or me $5000 for 5 hours in space?! And, of course, I'd be the CDR! The biggest constraint is development costs - I just need an investor with lots of cash! Anybody got any contacts? :lol:

 

[abninf]

First post for me!

Personally, I would rather do a suborbital flight with Space Adventures. I know they're still working out their design and all of that with Armadillo Aerospace, but I much prefer the vertical takeoff and the big bubble dome thing as opposed to what XCOR and Virgin have for their vehicles.

Here is what Armadillo has designed:

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/aircraft-pictures/Armadillo-thumb-450x691.jpg

 

[Iberville]

I don't know... Armadillo does not really look serious compared with Scaled Composites's history of success and Xcor experience. Anyway, on Xcor internet site, they say that their plane willl bring people to 60 km... wich is not even suborbital.

 

[Andy44]

That bubble-thing looks like a death trap. A really fun death trap.

 

[tblaxland]

I actually have a plan to provide access to space for only ~$5000!

Funny you mention it. I ran across Zero 2 Infinity's Bloon project the other day and hadn't got around to posting about it yet. Your idea reminded me very much of it - the flight profile takes you up to 120,000' on a helium balloon and you then paraglide back down. €110k for 4-5 hour flight: http://www.inbloon.com/en/fly-a-bloon/flight-cycle.php

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Funny you mention it. I ran across Zero 2 Infinity's Bloon project the other day and hadn't got around to posting about it yet. Your idea reminded me very much of it - the flight profile takes you up to 120,000' on a helium balloon and you then paraglide back down. €110k for 4-5 hour flight: http://www.inbloon.com/en/fly-a-bloon/flight-cycle.php

Thanks for that link! My idea is essentially the same as theirs, although I would use a lightweight fixed-wing glider as opposed to a capsule with a parafoil (a glider would give more control over descent & landing - plus it would be more exciting ).

Another company doing a lot with high-altitude balloons is JP Aerospace.
These guys actually have a plan for a permanent "space station" at around 140,000 feet, suspended from a large balloon and tethered to the ground! A fleet of smaller balloons would dock to it in order to resupply it and exchange crews! Check out their Airship To Orbit (ATO) proposal (PDF, 225.5 KB).

 

[Unstung]

Funny you mention it. I ran across Zero 2 Infinity's Bloon project the other day and hadn't got around to posting about it yet. Your idea reminded me very much of it - the flight profile takes you up to 120,000' on a helium balloon and you then paraglide back down. €110k for 4-5 hour flight: http://www.inbloon.com/en/fly-a-bloon/flight-cycle.php

How expensive can the balloon be that a flight costs about $140,000?

 

[JackJL]

That bubble-thing looks like a death trap. A really fun death trap.

Speaking of domed deathtraps, I present Copenhagen Suborbitals

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_Suborbitals"]Copenhagen Suborbitals - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Really brings home the human as payload idea! I would still jump at the chance to ride one of these though.

More pictures:
http://copenhagensuborbitals.com/spacecraft.php

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

[POST MOVED TO DEDICATED THREAD BY AUTHOR.]

 

[N_Molson]

Boeing, now that's interesting ! That 7-crew capsule seems a nice project, especially if it's compatible with the EELVs. :thumbup:

I'm still reluctant to the concept of an inflatable space station however, but well, if Bigelow proves that it works...

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I read one of the write-ups that the "skin" that Bigelow come up with can stop a 5/8 inch projectile at 6.4 Km/sec, that's reportedly faster than what a 'conventional' hull can take...
If I can find the link, it shall be posted soon...

here 'tis...
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2005-03/five-billion-star-hotel

Sounds promising enough, give that Genesis I and II are up there still.

 

[Iberville]

Speaking of domed deathtraps, I present Copenhagen Suborbitals

Copenhagen Suborbitals - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Really brings home the human as payload idea! I would still jump at the chance to ride one of these though.

More pictures:
http://copenhagensuborbitals.com/spacecraft.php

Well. Mercury was not that small after all.