Upcoming Space Adventures

I was browsing through a magazine the other day and came across an advertisement for Space Adventures discussing plans for commercial flights to the moon.  The company noted its success in bringing the first space tourist to the International Space Station (ISS)  and the new goal of a moon mission.  While the company is not talking about a moon landing (at least not yet), it is planning to circumnavigate our moon in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. 

In these current days of confusing messages from NASA and the White House, it is nice to learn of some firm lunar ambitions from any address in the United States.  And while the website itself says very little about the specifics of this mission, one can assume only the very wealthy need apply.  It's a start and hopefully the beginning of more such missions.  While there are many commercial reasons to look beyond the earth, I believe the spirit of adventure may remain one of the greatest drives for now and potentially the only true vehicle for getting us into space (of course, pride also works as any Cold Warrior will tell you). 

And should you prefer to stay a little closer to earth, the company is offering three seats for a 10 day trip to the ISS in 2013. 

New Homes for the Shuttles

NASA finally made its decision about the home of each shuttle.  The results are as follows:

-- Atlantis:  Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Orlando, Florida.

--  Discovery:  Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Endeavor:  California Science Center in Los Angeles, California.


-- Enterprise:  Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.

Of course, many locations that put in a bid for an orbiter, from Chicago's Adler Planetarium to Ohio's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, came away disappointed.  That said, there is some logic to the choices.  The nation's capitol and Florida do not need too much thought, but even New York and California make sense.  Los Angeles was the home of Rockwell International, the shuttle's primary contractor.  And the Intrepid recovered space capsules for NASA many years ago.  Of course, other bits and pieces of the shuttle program will be sent around the country, but the orbiters were what really counted.  I only hope we do not see our space program as something we put behind glass while we reminisce about the "good old days."  Instead, they should be seen as building blocks as we spend our time dreaming about future adventures.

50 Years of Human Space Travel

This week we celebrate 50 years of human space travel, with it all starting in Russia.  The April 12, 1961 flight by Yuri Gagarin on the Vostok 1 amazed the world and put the earth on a new trajectory (figuratively, I hope). 

And where have we gone in 50-year period?  Well, by 1969 an American was on the moon.  And by 1972 our manned space exploration came to an end.  So what have we been doing the past 40 years?  Sadly, other than floating around the earth, we have gone nowhere else or really set our mind on a particular location.  Even the moon seems too far for NASA's current budget. 

I know, we are thinking about Mars or an asteroid or something similar, and the United States has an amazing array of robotic craft throughout the solar system and even leaving the solar system.  Yet why is it we needed the Cold War's life and death struggle here on earth for motivation?  If the Chinese were threatening to put a death ray on the moon would that be enough to stimulate interest?  Maybe.  By the way, what are the Chinese planning to do after they land on the moon?