While the traditional route to space orbit has been a long training program at NASA, the private sector is now opening up new opportunties. For example, Space Adventures has programs from low orbit in a Mig-25, a trip to the International Space Station, and even travel around the moon. Space Adventures sells itself as "the only company in the world currently operating commercial orbital spaceflight and will be the first to launch clients using a new breed of lower cost suborbital spacecraft currently under development worldwide." Let's hope this new breed of space travel continues to grow. While government programs have done all of the work to date (or through others on contract basis), it may be time to try new approaches. And why stop with the Earth. We need a race to Mars, and these low cost private options may be the way to do it.
Tuesday, February 7
So You Want to Go Into Orbit?
While the traditional route to space orbit has been a long training program at NASA, the private sector is now opening up new opportunties. For example, Space Adventures has programs from low orbit in a Mig-25, a trip to the International Space Station, and even travel around the moon. Space Adventures sells itself as "the only company in the world currently operating commercial orbital spaceflight and will be the first to launch clients using a new breed of lower cost suborbital spacecraft currently under development worldwide." Let's hope this new breed of space travel continues to grow. While government programs have done all of the work to date (or through others on contract basis), it may be time to try new approaches. And why stop with the Earth. We need a race to Mars, and these low cost private options may be the way to do it.
