Sharaf Travel & Virgin Galactic Mid East tempt would-be astronauts with 'a taste of space'

Dubai headquartered Sharaf Travel and the Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Office in the Middle East has launched “A Taste of Space”. The new package has been designed to tempt would-be astronauts for the Virgin Galactic sub-orbital flights slated to commence end of 2009.

“Following the Global Accredited Space Agent Forum earlier this year where I underwent  the Virgin Galactic astronaut training  in the centrifuge for myself, I wanted to make this experience available to the people of the Middle East. ‘A Taste of Space’ is definitely for people looking for something unusual for their next short break and will give potential customers the opportunity to quell any fears with the nearest thing to real-life space travel without leaving earth,” said Sharon Garrett, Head of Space Marketing & PR, Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Office, Middle East.  

According to Garrett, the training for the sub-orbital space flight at the Nastar Centre will equip participants with the skills they require for Anti-G Straining Maneuvers and to fully understand the physiological effects of space flight before they even set foot into the centrifuge.  

“The training is fascinating, yet easy to understand.   The team at the Nastar Center make you feel incredibly comfortable and instill confidence.   I know that everyone who decides to take advantage of ‘A Taste of Space’ will sign up for the real thing with Virgin Galactic,” she said.

Explaining her own experience, Garrett says, “…the experience was one of the best of my life. I was a little anxious but once I underwent the training and stepped into the centrifuge, which is kitted out with full visuals and sound I had the most wonderful time. I felt as though I really was an astronaut !”

ETC's NASTAR Center Announces the Launch of New Air and Space Adventure Programs

Southampton, PA: January 16, 2008 - Environmental Tectonics Corporation's (AMEX:ETC) ("ETC" or the "Company") National Aerospace Training and Research Center (NASTARSM Center) announced today that it has launched its Air and Space Adventure Programs, a series of programs designed to provide realistic flight experiences for astronaut and fighter pilot enthusiasts alike. The NASTARSM Center is now offering 2-hour, half-day, full-day, and 2-day combo programs that simulate fast jet flights and space voyages.

NASTARSM Center is doing this with the same technology it uses to train military fighter pilots and Virgin Galactic space passengers. With these programs, the general public can come to the NASTARSM Center and find out what it is like to fly a high-performance jet or blast off into outer space. They can do this just for fun, or to enhance their knowledge and test their aptitude pulling G's for those interested in signing up for a real space launch or becoming a fighter pilot.

Glen King, COO of the NASTARSM Center, commented, "We are proud, and excited to bring these programs to the general public. Adventurers who have always wanted to fly a fast jet or launch into space can test their personal limits, and push the envelop of their aircraft or spacecraft in a safe environment. We provide each adventurer with the training and the tools to maximize their experience and successfully engage a bogie, or sustain the G's of re-entry from an Orbital flight."

The NASTARSM Center is providing this service on the world's only High Performance Human Centrifuge, which realistically replicates the flight dynamics of a high-performance jet, while providing a realistic cockpits and visual environments, and the actual sustained Gs one would experience while in flight. Gs are the variable force one feels while flying; one G equals the pull of Earth's gravity, and customers engaging the Air Adventure programs can experience up to 6 Gs, or 6 times the natural pull of the Earth.

For the Space Adventurer, customers can experience an authentic space launch profile, complete with the thrill of boosting into space, a visual overview of the Earth, and simulated weightlessness, and then the G forces of re-entry. As the official space-training provider for Virgin Galactic, the NASTARSM Center has trained many their customers already to properly prepare themselves for their actual space launch. The NASTARSM Center brings the same level of high-quality simulation to the launch experience, giving Air and Space Adventure Program customers a thrill they'll never forget.

The NASTARSM Center has several programs to choose from that accommodate different goals and desires. Customers can sign up individually, or in groups. For more information, and to view the Air and Space Adventures video, visit

www.NASTARcenter.com/adventures.