ARTICLES MODERN

“Space to sell”

Although the United States Space Agency’s five-year outlook, the space shuttle mission and struggle to develop the next generation of spacecraft in the budget, the Russian space program has found ways to pay for space. And in doing so, the former Soviet Union shows that it is leading towards capitalism space travel.

When the Soyuz rocket carrying two crew members to the International Space Station last Sunday, there will be fare-paying passenger. Richard Garriott, a successful computer game designer, and his father, Owen Garriott, the mission of the two American Space Agency in the 1970s, will conduct scientific experiments in space travel documents and Web sites - all 3 0,000,000 U.S. dollars.

Mr. Garriott is the sixth person to become NASA spacecraft called on participants - NASA dissatisfaction with the use of “astronauts” who were not selected and training. Garriott, but hate the “space tourist,” he said. “This is far more than mere lark.”

He, he pointed out that, after several months of training, and plans to station a series of experiments involving the growth of protein crystals to help pave the way for commercial sexual exploitation of the zero-gravity environment. “Space will be a very valuable place,” he said, as he is experimental, “This is how open the door to something else.”

Russia, however, may not have the monopoly of space travel for a long time. Another company, Virgin Galactic plans to take the customer is at the beginning of space in the next few years.

The company set up by Richard Branson, will be driving the design of the spacecraft based on Burt Rutan’s Space, which won the Ansari X Prize in 2004. More than 250 people to lay down their full $ 200,000 is expected to fare the first orbital flight. Other companies, including the Mojave or XCOR Aerospace is planning its own orbiter.

The idea of people to pay their way is revolutionary in the space in 2001, when Dennis Tito, a financier, to fly to the International Space Station’s report, 20,000,000 U.S. dollars by the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Now, five people tied to the money and take risks in space, the company’s travel arrangements.

Mr. Garriott had hoped to take the flight for the first time, but the collapse of the dot-com stock market weakened his property, and forced him to postpone that dream. He is a long-standing interest in space, he used his wealth of software to collect all kinds of items as a back-up satellite. This is the world’s first spacecraft from the former Soviet Union in 57 years on October 4, he was born three years ago. The New York Times wrote of his collection last year.

Training, he said in an interview, has been hard and fun. He has experienced zero gravity on the plane, of course, repeat offenders and that the high-G centrifuge units in Russia; he and his almost collapse of the space station in the exercise, they had to wriggle into their water for relief in the hot and the limitations of a Soyuz spacecraft - a Process, what he called “the most difficult thing I do.” (All goes well the next day.)

Eric Anderson, Chief Executive of Space Adventures, he said, companies are doing, not individual citizens NASA at the time of purchase through to the International Space Station on the Union. “Why is the only government employees into space?” He said.

About 3,000,000 U.S. dollars, Space Adventures provides a “back-up unit” to participate in the customer access to all the training, participants will receive a space - not flight.

Other companies may not be room for their clients, they take full advantage of the fact that Russia’s space program capitalism welcomed with open arms. Mir, tourism companies, based in Washington, to take full of tourists to see the Baikonur launch, and to visit Moscow, including the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Grimsby Road, the founder of the company legend, who has been in the field of tourism Russia since 1987, the tour guide said that usually costs about 19,000 U.S. dollars per person, despite the toughening economic times, he said: “You want to know how many people have enough money to travel expensive these days.”

For this month, is scheduled to travel to meet Mr. Garriott’s launch, Mir company provides a zero-gravity flight training centrifuge 5690 U.S. dollars per person (U.S. dollars between 1990 and 4490 U.S. dollars Per person), as well as the training spacesuit (4490 U.S. dollars)

Russia has strict requirements on the health of the centrifuges of this money and training space walk simulation of a huge swimming; Graimz said, “Every time I get people who do this, they continue to refuse them.”

Another company, incredible adventures, to customers in 68,000 feet of 31 Russian MiG fighter jets, the company’s so-called “edge of space.” This is far from over 300,000 feet it is often That the beginning of the space, but it does provide a black over that, and much higher than commercial flights.

If $ 200,000 is Virgin Galactic is charging sounds like a lot of money to pay for a few minutes of weightlessness and black sky, Mr. Anderson said, “Who would think 10 years ago, many people are willing to pay 35,000,000 U.S. dollars to space it? ”

In this connection, or, more than double? Monday, Space Adventures announced its fifth customer to the track, Charles Simonyi has signed a second visit.