The space industry actively develops and covers all significant areas of our life. The use of cellular communications and satellite Internet in everyday life has already become commonplace. Such a seemingly far from space sphere, like agriculture, also uses innovations, particularly satellite data, to analyze the soil state, water, and plants. You can read more about it here.
In 2021, space tourism received a special impetus. Several companies sent travelers with minimal training on suborbital flights. The trend will continue in 2022, as evidenced by the launch of a new supersonic space plane and a reusable rocket.
The Space Race
Precisely 52 years after the first flight to the moon, Blue Origin launched its first crew into space. This suborbital flight took place in the reusable New Shepard launch vehicle, which can accommodate up to six people, and lasted about 15 minutes. The flight altitude was 62 miles. After that, the spacecraft returned to Earth by parachute. Subsequently, the company organized two more similar flights in October and December 2021.
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo is different. It is a suborbital spaceplane that can accommodate two pilots and six passengers. It is delivered to the launch altitude by a particular carrier, aircraft White Knight Two. The spaceplane then detaches and fires its rocket engine.
The first suborbital flight with passengers called Virgin Galactic Unity 22 took place on July 11th, 2021. The crew included the head of Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson. And there are already more than 650 people waiting in line for future travels.
The Price for a Ticket
Even ten-minute space flights are costly. The approximate price of such trips ranges from $250,000 to $500,000. However, in 2022 an even more expensive project awaits us. Axiom Space, in partnership with SpaceX, organizes it. During the Axiom Mission 1, the company will launch four astronauts to the International Space Station for ten days. The crew will include Canadian and American investors, a former Space Shuttle pilot, and an Israeli Air Force veteran. The trip will take place on the Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the one-ticket price will be $55 million.
Soon, space tourism may reach a new level. In 2024, Axiom Space plans to open a private space station as a hotel for tourists.
How to Prepare for a Flight
Training courses for suborbital space tourism only last a few days. It is because the main task of travelers is to relax and have fun. A provider takes over the entire organization of flights. However, several things still need to be done to prepare for a trip:
- keep yourself in good physical and mental shape;
- get ready for the overloads that occur at the start and entry into the atmosphere (do not be afraid, they are not as intense as they seem);
- take a test flight in zero gravity;
- go scuba diving (it is a good workout for weightlessness);
- plan your free time in zero gravity (you will have only a few minutes);
- learn the rules of conduct on a spaceship.
As you can see, preparing for a tourist space flight is not difficult, and many of the tips are advisory, not mandatory. However, since a journey only lasts a few minutes and is very expensive, it is best to get ready as much as possible for a trip to avoid wasting precious time.
According to professional astronauts and early tourists’ statements, the view of the Earth from space makes an indelible impression. Moreover, such a journey can change your entire life. Therefore, we hope this fantastic opportunity will become available to more people shortly.
