Space Adventures Ltd. To Develop Spaceports For Tourism Globally

miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG

Feb 19 2006, 03:47 AM

Space Adventures Ltd., is going to develop a commercial spaceport in Ras-Al-Khaimah in UAE hand-in-hand with the Govt. of Ras-Al-Khaimah. The spaceport project, which is to be located within an hours drive from Dubai has already drawn in commitments in excess of $30 million. This is but a minor part of the global spaceports programme that Space Adventures has initiated. They plan to expand globally and have such space-tourist oriented spaceports in almost every contitent.

QUOTE(SpaceAdventures.Com)

"I am proud to announce Ras Al-Khaimah as the site where suborbital commercial space travel will begin and flourish. Space Adventures is the pioneer of space tourism, which is why we signed an agreement with them nearly a year ago and began this project. After we initiate operations here, we look forward to expanding operations outside of the United Arab Emirates. In this regard, I would also like to announce that we have committed an additional $30 million (USD) of funding for global spaceport development. We are most excited about spearheading this multi-billion dollar industry," said His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the Crown Prince of Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.

"Because of Ras Al-Khaimah's unique airport and spaceport support facilities, His Highness' commitment to space tourism, and the close proximity to Dubai, one of the world's leading luxury tourist destinations, makes it a choice location for spaceflight operations," said Mr. Anderson. "As a global leader of tourism, the United Arab Emirates is an ideal location for a spaceport. Suborbital flights will offer millions of people the opportunity to experience the greatest adventure available, space travel. We are honored to partner with His Highness Sheikh Saud."

The suborbital space transportation system has been designed by Myasishchev Design Bureau, a leading Russian aerospace organization which has developed a wide-array of high performance aircraft and space systems. Explorer, as it has been named, will have the capacity to transport up to five people to space and is designed to optimize the customer experience of space travel, while maintaining the highest degree of safety.

Read the full article at: http://www.spaceadventures.com/media/releases/2006-02/347

Oh CRAP - get ready to see showers of empty chip packets and discarded soda cans from space...

kaputnik

Feb 20 2006, 07:28 AM

Extremely exciting stuff.. when my dad was young, he got his kicks out of the massive increase in the number of airports mushrooming across the world. According to him, his dad (my grand dad) would tell him that mass air transport would never be viable nor would the world take to it and that sailing between continents would countinue as the main means of mass transport between continents for a few centuries... look at the world today and you'll see every village equipped with at least the very basic airport.

I do believe that within the next decade we may be seeing a great many people heading out for a bit of exotic space tourism.. and mayhaps within a few decades we'll be regularly doing the inter-planetary voyages, like how making a trip half way around the world is no big deal today.

Here's to space travel.

miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG

Feb 20 2006, 08:43 AM

Absolutely right said - Here's to Space Tourism in the coming decades - and may it happen in good time so we can enjoy it at least once before we depart for the netherworld

Vyoma

Feb 22 2006, 03:02 AM

QUOTE(miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG @ Feb 20 2006, 02:13 PM)

Absolutely right said - Here's to Space Tourism in the coming decades - and may it happen in good time so we can enjoy it at least once before we depart for the netherworld

I sure wish the same thing miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG. I could figure it out from the trend from the past couple of decades as to what the future might hold. It might not be exactly as we imaginem, but what turns out seems to be a lot better than what had been imagined earlier. So, there surely would be Space Tourism in the future, and they may be so much different from what we imagine it to be now - be it literature, or movies, or media. But that said, I have to reapeat what m^e said. I mean, I am already 23, and I do not know for sure, when Space Tourism would come out. I just wish it would come out soon enough so that I can atleast once go out in space.

These are one of those times when I feel I could be immortal, or have a long life (something like those Elves in Tolkein literature). Otherwise, I am just ready to leave this world anytime. Well, now I should say, I am ready to leave this world anytime - in both sense.

abhiram

Feb 22 2006, 03:59 AM

Ah ... now that would be nice wouldn't it. Space tourism ... hmm ....

"4 days and 5 nights package lunar visit! Holiday season bonus, special visit to the dark side of the moon for no extra cost!"

Of course, I don't think we'll have moon trips in a hurry yet, but people sure are trying hard to make space available to the common people. Maybe in another 100 years or so, life on earth will resemble Star Wars.

Jeigh

Feb 22 2006, 01:00 PM

This seems like one of those techs that is unpredictable unless you are directly involved... I mean I could picture it taking 100+ years to get lunar or other types of non-earth colonies... but then again I could picture it in 10-20 years with the right innovations and passion behind it. We'll have to wait and see I guess, predicting the future is kinda hard... I mean... wasn't HAL supposed to already be killing off crew members a few years ago? hehe

Quatrux

Feb 22 2006, 01:26 PM

This is interesting, but I think that I won't afford this kind of travels at start

but this is a good way to get money in my opinion, but noone said anything about what can happen, an accident or something which my end all of this. That is what I hate about it, if something bad happens, they end it for some time..

Predicting the future is fun, does anyone remember the film/serial/movie Space 1999, it is a quite old one, but at that date we should have a moon base

but it is 2006, as I remember reading, people needed to walk on mars at 2005 start, but mission did not go too.. But in my opinion, sending people to mars is useless, especially now, I think it is better to send robots, because they get more advanced every day.

I really like the idea of space tourism, because I would like to travel to space and see earth from space

if were was a competition or something, I would like to participate