(^747444) VolVolVol. 6 Issue 12. 6. Isssues 122
In the race to give tourists a
view of the planet, it may not
be rockets that get there first.
Sarah Cruddas investigates
pace tourism is a concept we have
all been familiar with since
SpaceShipOne made its maiden
flight in 2004. Ten years on and there are
several commercial space companies
offering tourists trips to space. However,
ask any Virgin Galactic future astronaut
when they are going and the answer will
likely be the same as it was last year: “next
year”. Sir Richard Branson is confident of a
passenger flight in the near future with
Virgin Galactic, but so far SpaceShipTwo
(which will carry six passengers plus crew
into orbit) has yet to fire its engines long
enough to make that journey.
Elsewhere XCOR Aerospace is also
selling tickets for its Lynx spacecraft,
which takes off horizontally from the
ground like a plane, but with a rocket
engine. It announced its project with a
huge marketing campaign involving Buzz
Aldrin, but they haven’t yet made it into
space. Nor have they even flown the craft.
It seems commercial spaceflight is
struggling to get off the ground.
Up, up and away
However, there is a new type of high-
altitude tourism experience that could take
off in as little as two years: travelling to the
edge of space by balloon. By the end of
2016, World View Enterprises hopes to
send six passengers plus crew to the edge
of space, and all for the comparatively
modest sum of $75,000 (£45,000).
SPACE TOURISM
(^74) Vol. 6 Issue 12
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kiana
(Kiana)
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