History was made in space exploration.
October 4 2004 was a milestone in history for the civilian space industry. This was the day that the Ansari X price was rewarded to Burt Rutan, airplane designer and owner of Scaled Composites. The Ansari X price was a price awarded by Anousheh Ansari and her husband to the first company that made it possible to have 2 space trips within two weeks with a commercial build spaceship. The price had a value of 10 million US dollars. Burt Rutan won with his airplane/spaceship the SpaceShipOne which was just big enough the send one test pilot to a height of 100 kilometres.
The start of a Galactic Empire.
Shortly after these two successful flights sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Empire came in and started a joint venture with Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites to become the worlds first commercial space line called Virgin Galactic.
Virgin Galactic will own and operate at least five of the new spaceships and two motherships. Branson is responsible for all commercial tasks and Rutan is building the SpaceShipTwo and the mothership White KnightTwo.
This new and heavily improved spaceship offers space to two pilots and six tourists. Virgin Galactic already has hundreds of preregistrations for people that want to explore space in the year 2009.
Do you want to explore space?
What do you need to become a space tourist? Well, basically $200.000! And what do you get for this?
The program will start with a 3 day pre-flight training program where you will have some pre-flight medical checks and learn how to make the most of your time in zero gravity. Once this program is completed the countdown for your space journey can begin.
Virgin Galactic is now building the world’s first commercial build spaceport from where the launch will be. The new headquarters from where they will also operate the space flights will be located in New Mexico. Funded by the New Mexico state government and now in course of design and construction, it will provide cutting edge facilities and a wonderful location for fledgling astronauts.
You will be in the spacecraft attached to the mothership, a specially designed jet carrier aircraft. At the altitude of 50,000ft the SpaceShipTwo will be released from the mothership from where you’ll be shot in to space with mach 3. During your 90 minute trip the ship will reach an unbelievable speed up to 2500mph.
Book you space flight.
If you have $200.000 than you can book your trip at the site of Virgin Galactic or contact one of the many world-wide booking agencies found on the site of Virgin Galactic.
If you don’t have $200.000 and you are interested in space tourism than you’ll have a great time reading the book The Space Tourist Handbook and “exploring” the following space tourist’s sites Charles in Space, Anousheh Ansari and The First African in Space.
Story and Picture Sources are the websites linked to and mentioned above.
Wow sign me up. Now I only need $200,000. I just stumbled this article!!