| Space Adventures |
Article Index for Space Adventures |
Articles about Space Adventures |
Website Links For Space |
Information AboutSpace Adventures |
|
BACKGROUND The company provides a number of space-related programs, including "zero-gravity" rides on a Russian IL-76 airplane. In May 2001 , it sent American businessman Dennis Tito to the ISS aboard a Russian Aviation And Space Agency Soyuz Spacecraft for a reported $20 million payment, making him the first space tourist in history. South African businessman Mark Shuttleworth did the same in April 2002 . On December 16 , 2003 , the company announced a contract with two unnamed American individuals, who agreed to pay $20 million each to make similar trips in 2004 and 2005 . In fact, the third flight only took place on October 1 , 2005 , with the launch of Gregory Olsen , and it is assumed that Olsen was one of these two individuals. A flight is on offer with two tourists and one pilot, the SA-1, also to the ISS. On November 3 , 2005 , Space Adventures announced that their next client would be Japanese entrepreneur Daisuke "Dice-K" Enomoto . Enomoto is expected to fly to the ISS in October 2006 . CIRCUMLUNAR FLIGHTS On August 10 , 2005 , the company announced a project named Deep Space Expeditions Alpha to send people around the Moon. A 5 1/2 day lunar flight could happen in 2008 or 2009 , and cost about $100 million. {Link without Title} EXPLORER SUBORBITAL SPACEPLANE The company has a concept suborbital tourist rocketplane, the C-21 . It is combined with the launchplane M-55X mothership to form the Cosmopolis XXI launch system. Space Adventures has entered into an agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency to further develop the C-21 design into the Explorer . It has also entered into an agreement with Prodea , backers of the Ansari X-Prize to develop spaceports in the United Arab Emirates ( Ras Al Khaimah Spaceport ) and Singapore ( Singapore Spaceport ). On April 3, 2006 , it was reported that a UAE entrepreneur is paying more than $100,000 to go on the first suborbital flight {Link without Title} . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|