TSA Won't Be Checking Carry-Ons
Space Adventures, Ltd. plans to launch the world's first
privately-funded mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Space Adventures recently secured a contract with the Russian
Aviation & Space Agency (RASA) to fly two explorers to the ISS
aboard a new Soyuz TMA spacecraft.
The mission, Space Adventures-1 (SA-1), continues
the company's record of opening the space frontier to explorers
other than government astronauts and cosmonauts. The company
brokered the flights for the world's first private space explorers,
American businessman Dennis Tito in 2001, and the first African in
space, Mark Shuttleworth, in 2002. SA-1 has the potential to
establish several world records, and also marks the first private
mission to the International Space Station.
Space flight, $20 million; memories, priceless...
Space Adventures seeks candidates fascinated by one of life's
greatest experiences and who support the exploration of space to
participate in the expedition. First "space tourist," Dennis Tito
said, "Private space exploration is an important investment into
humanity's future. Commercial human space flight and space tourism
are creating the 21st-Century technologies and economy that will
bring the benefits of space to people on Earth. Helping to make
that happen is very meaningful. And of course, being in space
itself is a truly blissful experience that I am unable to describe
in words, it was worth far more than its cost; truly
priceless."
There's specialized training and planning involved; you don't
get your ticket at the gate.
Space Adventures has established this mission through its
longstanding partnership with RASA and Russia's leading aerospace
company, RSC Energia. "We are pleased to provide the means for this
Space Adventures' mission and are equally committed to the future
of private space travel," says Sergey Gorbunov, Press Secretary for
the Director General of RASA. SA-1 participants will train in Star
City, the cosmonaut training center outside of Moscow,
familiarizing themselves with the Soyuz TMA spacecraft,
experiencing weightlessness in a zero-gravity jet, and learning how
to live and operate aboard the ISS. The mission is planned for
liftoff in early 2005 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
and seats aboard the Soyuz are available for $20 million each.
Gorbunov also stated, "In the future, we intend to carry out
additional private missions to ISS in cooperation with Space
Adventures."
Will add to space station's resources, or at least break
even:
Space Adventures' CEO, Eric Anderson, remarked,
"After the loss of Columbia, the President said that our journey
into space must go on. The advancement of commercial space flight
and space tourism should and will continue, to everyone's
advantage. And, this mission in particular has been designed to
provide great benefit to all parties, not only for the explorers
who fly, but also to the ISS program as a whole." Anderson
emphasized that SA-1 will be self-sufficient, bringing its own
food, water and medical supplies and that it may transport
supplemental supplies for the resident crew aboard the ISS.
The announcement was made at the renowned Explorers Club in New
York City on June 18. Accompanying Anderson at the event were Tito,
Shuttleworth, and Gorbunov.