A New Era Of Space Travel Is On The Horizon

"A New Era Of Space Travel Is On The Horizon"," In fact as many as two million people each year would take the journey beyond the outer limits of Earth's gravity.


Therefore, it really is not hard to understand the interest in commercial space travel by private business.
 However, the company that is closest to becoming the industry pioneer is Virgin Galactic.


Eager future space travelers should consider that the development of Virgin Galactic's Space Ship Two is nearly completed and could be performing test flights by the end of the year into space.
 The larger and more powerful, Space Ship Two, is being built to accommodate two pilots and six passengers.
 Initially, Virgin Galactic has ordered five spaceships to begin the business of commercial space travel and tourism.
 The spaceport will be the first commercial space launch and control facility in the United States.
 It will feature a mission control station, runways, and the Virgin Galactic headquarters.


Customers that want to experience commercial space travel have been lining up for tickets.
 William Shatner, Sigourney Weaver, and Paris Hilton are reported to be among the early space tourists while hundreds of others have put down more than thirty million dollars in deposits to reserve their seat for a flight on Virgin's Spaceships.
 Passengers will spend just under 10 minutes in space at an altitude of only 65 miles, high enough to experience free fall and to see the curvature of the earth.
 Already the United States Federal Aviation Administration has published its guidelines for commercial space travel, one hundred and twenty three pages of regulations that require disclosure and passenger training.
 Also required is pre flight training for passengers in order to be properly prepared to handle emergencies such as a fire or loss of cabin pressure.


It is expected that once people experience future commercial space travel, that they will want to make space their ultimate vacation destination.
 Robert Bigelow, who made his fortune with hotel chain Budget Suites Of America, is already working on a prototype orbiting hotel.


His orbiting hotel venture is being developed under the corporate name of Bigelow Aerospace.
 It is the first in a series of launches scheduled every six months for the next two and a half years.
 The project is a prototype for cheap, livable, interconnecting rooms for commercial use in space similar in design to the International Space Station.
 Robert Bigelow has since purchased the rights to the patent of the technology for his Genesis prototype.
  It will surely represent another small step for the creativity of man and a potentially giant leap to profitable opportunity for business and commercial enterprise of every kind.