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.

The first Indian space tourist

Ahmedabad: A 21-year-old science graduate from Ahmedabad has won the `Bindaas Go to Space Contest' on a TV channel. And with that he will also become the first Indian space tourist.

 

Meet Hardik Gajjar – he has own won the `Bindaas Go to Space Contest' on a TV channel.

 

Congratulatory messages are pouring in ever since news spread that he's won a TV channel contest to secure a chance to go into space.

His passion for song, dance, humour and mimicry has won him several awards. But this surely is the highest honour that he could have ever imagined.

Asked in the initial rounds of the contest why he wants to go into space, Hardik said, “I told them its because I wanted to know how one answers nature's call in space."

But the contest to become the first Indian space tourist was not easy. Seven finalists from across the country battled it out, testing their wit, general knowledge and ability to adapt to different situations.

Hardik, who will be formally declared winner on Sunday, will train at NASA. The rocket plane XP commandeered by former NASA astronaut John Herrington will take him into space next year. Hardik is still at a loss of words to describe his luck.

“I have no words to express myself, may be my expressions can, " Hardik added.

And the family is overjoyed as well.

Hardik's sister Amita said, "We are all excited and happy. Its great that he will go into space."

Hardik’s feat is not just about winning a talent competition. In doing so, he has come one of a billion Indians to be able to visit space.

Source: ibnlive.com

Eight-Year-Old Boy Enjoys Adventure of A Lifetime as Youngest Person in History to Experience Zero Gravity Flight

Eight-year-old boys dream of being superheroes -- flying high above the clouds with nothing to limit themselves but their imaginations. For young adventurer Danner Cronise, Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G (R)), the first and only FAA-approved provider of commercial weightless flights, turned this dream into reality and enabled Danner to fly like Superman and enjoy 10-times more hang-time than the world's best basketball player -- all while making history as the youngest person ever to experience a weightless flight.

Danner's adventure truly was a family affair, as he was joined by his father Ray, and older sisters Erin (10) and Alex (12). A NASA engineer for more than 15 years and a co-founder of ZERO-G, Ray Cronise had a unique and personal reason for wanting to see his children enjoy weightlessness first hand. "It is awe inspiring to be able to take your kids on such a memorable experience. Being exposed to these kinds of adventures kindles curiosity and keeps them dreaming," said Ray. Each of his three children had different reasons for loving their ZERO-G experience:
-- Danner loved being tossed like a ball across the plane cabin and was
fascinated to see how droplets of water hovered in the air before his
eyes during zero gravity. On being the youngest person ever to
experience a weightless flight, Danner said, "It makes me feel good and
very lucky. The flight was so cool. I was floating and flipping, just
like the astronauts in space." He added, "I showed my friends pictures
and they all want to go now too. Can I do it again next week?"

-- Erin, an aspiring gymnast, said her favorite part was "being able to do
a back flip without needing someone to spot me like in class; I felt
like the best gymnast in the world! During one of the first weightless
moments, I did a back handspring -- I was so excited!"

-- Alex, the eldest of the three, loved every moment and was especially
amused when her coach told her to release a handful of M&M's into the
air so she could watch them float before her and chase them down like
PacMan. When asked if she would do it again, Alex responded, "Of course
I would! It's the most fun thing ever that I have ever done -- more fun
than Disneyworld!"


Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, CEO and Co-Founder of ZERO-G said, "The most important part about the Cronise's family adventure is that it underscores what is at the core of the ZERO-G philosophy. We break the paradigm of this incredible sensation of floating being reserved for fairy tales or second-hand experiences and enable people to really fly and feel and see it first-hand. There is no comparison for the experience that ZERO-G delivers -- it is pure exhilaration from the moment you arrive, throughout the flight, and lives on through many talks with others that have never been."

The experience offered by ZERO-G is the only commercial opportunity on Earth for individuals to experience true "weightlessness" without going to space. The ZERO-G Experience consists of a brief training session for passengers followed by a 90-minute flight aboard G-Force One. Each ZERO-G mission is designed for maximum fun. The aircraft's interior is a zero gravity playroom, complete with padded floors and walls and video cameras to record the unforgettable moments. The flight includes 15 weightless experiences (parabolas) that last approximately 30 seconds each and range from low-gravity environments typical of the moon (1/6 G) and Mars (1/3 G) to complete weightlessness; ZERO-G delivers twice the amount of weightless time achieved in a typical sub-orbital flight into space. ZERO-G operates under the highest safety standards as set by the FAA (Part-121) with its partner Amerijet International of Ft. Lauderdale Florida. Aircraft operations take place under the same regulations set for large commercial passenger airliners.

Weightless flight is an experience that few have tried, but those who have call it amazing and life-changing. Martha Stewart, Professor Stephen Hawking, Princess Beatrice of York, Amy Grant, Billy Bush, Burt Rutan, Miles O'Brien, and cast members of "The Apprentice," and "The Biggest Loser" are just a few notable passengers who've flown with ZERO-G. Numerous astronauts including Buzz Aldrin and Anousheh Ansari also have experienced ZERO-G voyages. ZERO-G has played a major role in several blockbuster hits including Matrix 2 and Matrix 3. Since launching the ZERO-G Experience to the general public in September 2004, the company has conducted more than 100 weightless flights and flown over 3,000 passengers, including celebrities and media personalities, corporate charters, science and math teachers, and individuals age 12 to 93.

About ZERO-G

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Las Vegas, ZERO-G is led by a world-class team of veteran astronauts and experienced business leaders. The company was co-founded by X PRIZE Chairman and space visionary, Dr. Peter H. Diamandis; and veteran astronaut, Dr. Byron K. Lichtenberg. The duo spent more than a decade working to bring the marvel of weightless flight to the public.

The ZERO-G Experience (TM), which includes training led by a professional astronaut, a flight of 15 parabolas, flight suit, complimentary merchandise, awards, a post-event party, photos, and a DVD of the flight, is offered at a price of $3,500 per seat. For the current flight schedule, more information or to book a seat, visit http://www.GoZeroG.com, http://www.sharperimage.com or call 1-800-937-6480.

ZERO-G flights also may be chartered for private events. Since 2004, individual groups of family and friends to top- tier consumer brands like American Express, Hewlett-Packard, Google and Cadbury Schweppes have chartered ZERO-G flights. The ZERO-G Experience builds deep common memories that no ordinary gravity-bound exercise can equal. It is a unique way to express gratitude to important clients and partners. Flights can be rewards, incentives, celebrations and even revenue mechanisms for charitable institutions.

 http://www.GoZeroG.com/

Ticket to ride - The Washington Times

Richard Garriott always knew he would fly into space. But unlike his astronaut father, his less-than-perfect eyesight dashed any hope of a government mission.


So Mr. Garriott turned to the private sector, where $30 million bought him a ticket aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station in the coming October.


As the sixth amateur to make the trek, he hopes to prove that 10 days orbiting the Earth is worth such a considerable price tag.


"I'm personally a big believer [that] if there is justification for people being in space, then it sure ought to pay dividends commensurate with the investment put into it," said Mr. Garriott, 36, a Texas-based multimillionaire who founded and sold several computer game companies.


His father, astronaut-scientist Owen Garriott, spent more than 20 years at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, completing two spaceflights in his career. Now, decades later, Richard Garriott's mission is being booked by Space Adventures Ltd., a Vienna, Va., company that buys extra seats on Russian spacecraft headed to the International Space Station.


Space Adventures has sent five private citizens into space. American businessman Dennis Tito in 2001 was the first. Software pioneer Charles Simonyi was the most recent one, lifting off this spring.


Mr. Garriott has the unmistakable credentials of an adrenaline junkie. He participates in sky diving, hang gliding, caving and rock climbing. His thirst for terrestrial exploration has taken him to the depths of the ocean to study bacteria on hydrothermal vents, and to Antarctica to search for meteorites.


But Mr. Garriott said he is more than a space tourist. He has long been an investor in space privatization and sits on the board of Space Adventures. To demonstrate the commercial value of private spaceflight, he plans to conduct several scientific experiments in space that, unlike NASA-sponsored research, are focused on making a profit.

source: http://washingtontimes.com
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Green tea

Recipes: Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Carsplace: Auto news, autoshow, concept cars.

Professional Artist to Draw in Space

New Zealander Makoure Scott, one of the first 100 Founder Astronauts for Virgin Galactic, plans to spend his space flight drawing. It's no surprise given that he is a professional artist who has already included space themes in his art (along with Maori and other indigenous influences).

I had the pleasure of meeting Makoure at his centrifuge training which was recently covered by New Zealand's One News. Scott is no small man, so I wondered how he was going to be able to take being six times his normal weight. I think he was wondering too. However, when the time came, he was smiling and even able to touch his nose at 6 Gs- something I don't think I even attempted.

Although I don't have the image of Scott at 6 Gs available at the time of posting, I do have one image I can share with you...

And that is of me at 6 Gs! As you can see, I weigh well over 750 lbs in this picture and the experience is a lot like melting off the seat. (It's actually easier than it sounds).

Makoure marks the start of a new era of space. An era where we will see a much broader range of humanity touch t
he stars. I am incredibly excited to see it myself and will be writing about other space "firsts" that the suborbital flights will bring in future posts.


For now though, I am just happy to see the first New Zealanders getting in the game (Makoure is not the only one!) and artists.

If there is one thing that Virgin knows how to do well, it is to craft their offerings as full sensory experiences. I think that many artists (and non artists) will be able to bring that other-worldly experience back to Earth. My commitment is that we inspire a generation of dreamers, builders, and explorers that expand not just the length of our life- but also the depth.

By Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides

Watch this space!

Dutch radio station offers space flight as prize


by Thijs Westerbeek


Dutch commercial radio station Q-music is trying to further raise its profile, and its market share, with a remarkable promotional activity. Listeners can submit their names, and every hour three names are mentioned on the air. The first person to call back after hearing his or her name stands a chance of winning a very special prize.

The prize consists of a so-called 'suborbital' flight, where a small, space shuttle type of aircraft will be launched on the back of a bigger plane. Although the Space Shuttle Explorer will go higher than 100 kilometres for only a few minutes, it will indeed be a real space flight. According to the renowned Dutch aerospace journalist Govert Schilling, it will be an experience the winner will never forget for the rest of his or her life.

"You will reach an altitude of over 100 kilometres, which is far beyond the atmosphere. You will see the blackness of the universe and you will see the Earth as a beautiful blue planet from the outside. However, it will only be for a short time, and a few minutes later you will be landing on the runway, like a plane."

Harmful exhaust fumes
It will be an exciting trip, but it will have a harmful effect on the atmosphere, says Peter van Vliet. He's the president of iNS, a foundation that promotes sustainability; he is also the editor-in-chief of a Dutch-language news site on sustainability. He says the higher aerial strata in the atmosphere are especially vulnerable.
"Those higher aerial strata are extremely thin. The exhaust fumes emitted at that level cause much more damage than the same amount of exhaust fumes would do on lower aerial strata."

Van Vliet holds the view that space tourism is unacceptable at a time when there is so much attention on air pollution and climate change. He says it will be even more unacceptable if such commercial space flights happen more frequently in the future.
"It's a classic case of something you just can't do anymore, in this day and age. Just look at the fuel that is burned up, and the emissions an adventure like that will produce, and compare it with those five minutes of fun for six passengers. What's more, if you think of your direct contribution to the decay of the higher aerial strata, I have serious doubts about the whole thing."
Drawing board
It remains to be seen if the lucky Q-music listener really will embark on a journey into space. In fact, the spaceship only exists on the drawing board at the moment, and the launch sites in the United Arab Emirates and Singapore still have to be built as well.

The website of 'Space Adventures', the American company that is supposed to carry our the space flights, is keeping silent about when all of these plans are going to be realised. It will take years before they're able to stage a space flight, if at all. The winner of the contest will be announced on Saturday 22 September at a special event in the aviation and space travel museum Aviodome in Lelystad, the Netherlands.

Moon 2.0 - Your Chance to Ride Along

As you may have noticed in the videos and posters you can find on the the Google Lunar X PRIZE website, we are referring to this competition and the missions spurred by the prize as Moon 2.0. This is also a theme that's been used, to a limited sense, in talking about the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. While I was in India, I had a few people come up to me and ask me about this particular phrase,

Partly, of course, the Moon 2.0 theme references the fact that we hope the Google Lunar X PRIZE will kick off a second era of extensive lunar exploration, similar to the era of Lunar Orbiters, Rangers, Surveyors, Lunas, Lunokhods Zond, and Apollo missions. That rationale for the Moon 2.0 theme is apparent, but there's another reason that perhaps isn't as obvious--or maybe just doesn't translate as easily across generational or language gaps.

These days, a lot of the talk about the Internet--at least among my peers here in the USA--is about Web 2.0. This isn't a new internet protocol or a separate network (like Internet2). Instead, Web 2.0 represents a new way of thinking about the internet. If Web 1.0 was about portals and "push" technology--content produced by a central body and served up for the public--Web 2.0 is about public participation, sharing, and, increasingly often, user generated content. If Web 1.0 was a unprecedented and useful window to an enormous library, Web 2.0 is a new sort of town hall, where all users can participate.

We believe that the second era of lunar exploration will have an incredibly important aspect of public participation, and in a way fundamentally different than the first such era. Moon 1.0, to be sure--especially the Apollo mission--captured the public imagination to an extent rarely seen in any endeavor, regardless of the industry. But the members of the public were, for the most part, passive observers in the program, watching the events unfold from home.

This time around, it will be much more common for ordinary citizens from all around the world to actually play a role in the competition. Not only can any person from any country take part by forming or joining a team, but they will also be able to virtually 'ride along' with the lunar probes in new kind of way. I expect that each of our Google Lunar X PRIZE teams will find a new and unique way to do this, but the X PRIZE Foundation has already launched one: the Lunar Legacy program.

As part of the requirements for the Google Lunar X PRIZE, each team will be required to carry a small amount of payload provided by the X PRIZE Foundation to the surface of the Moon. Part of that payload space (and, more importantly, mass) will be used to carry a memory device that carries photos and messages provided by members of the viewing public through this program. Much as Apollo Astronaut Charlie Duke left a photograph of his family on the lunar surface as a symbol or inspiration and a lasting legacy of mankind's first voyages to the Moon, this program will allow anyone to send, for example, a photo of a loved one, to express their support or any other message. At the announcement of the Google Lunar X PRIZE, we took literally hundreds of photos of students, families, and enthusiasts to be included in part of this program. Then, we opened it up to allow anyone to participate.


Every once in a while, we'll spotlight a particularly interesting entry in the Lunar Legacy gallery. Today, I'd like to point you to a particularly poignant one. It would be hard for me to express it any more eloquently than the poster did herself, so if I may quote:

Robert P. (Bob) Verdier was a Boeing test conductor during the Apollo years. On July 16, 1969, he wrote and posted letters to each of his children. When they arrived a few days later in the mail, he said we could open them right away or put them in a safe place for future reading. I gave mine back to him to keep for me. After he died, my mom had boxes of his work life she wanted us to have. In amongst the old Saturn V firing manuals, badges and flightline passes, was his unopened letter to me.

.

Her father ends the letter by imploring the next generation to "use it wisely"--to treasure the ability to reach out to our celestial neighbors. With Moon 2.0, finally--finally--my generation, not yet born during Moon 1.0, gets a chance to do just that.

Update: Funnily, just as I posted this, comedian Stephen Colbert is interviewing Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell on his television show, The Colbert Report. At the beginning of a pretty entertaining (and very complementary, for Colbert) interview, Colbert said, talking about his childhood fascination with the Apollo program and the people who made that possible: "my childhood was better than my children's childhood, because I had these heroes to look up to." I'm hopeful that Moon 2.0 can change that!

Billionaire flips over his home in space

Billionaire space traveler Charles Simonyi, right, floats upside down Monday during a news conference in the Zvezda service module after his arrival at the international space station with Russian office space cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Fyodor Yurchikhin (front row). In the background are members of the station's current crew, Michael Lopez-Alegria and (obscured from view) Mikhail Tyurin and Sunita Williams.
KOROLYOV, Russia - Two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. billionaire bringing a gourmet meal arrived at the international space station Tuesday — to a warm welcome from current crewmen and the earthbound applause of Martha Stewart.

The lifestyle guru was among Russian and American officials and visitors monitoring the docking at Russian Mission Control, on Moscow's outskirts, as onboard TV cameras showed the Soyuz nearing the station and then jerking to a stop. Stewart is a friend of Charles Simonyi, the American who shelled out $20-25 million to be the world's fifth paying private space jam.

The Soyuz capsule docked automatically with the ISS and Simonyi and two Russian cosmonauts floated into the space station about 90 minutes later.

Do you want to travel to space? 1st stop: Sarasota

By SARA KENNEDY
SARASOTA --A local travel agency is marketing an unusual product: trips to space.

Ryan Hilton, co-owner of Admiral Travel Gallery of Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, is among 47 exclusive agents worldwide selling Virgin Galactic's commercial flights into space.

The trips aren't for everyone. For one thing, they cost $200,000 for a few minutes of weightlessness. For another, the spacecraft for the flights is still being tested and flights aren't expected to start until 2009.

"It's not your average experience, price and contract," acknowledged Hilton Wednesday from Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was about to take a group of tourists on a 10-day trip into the bush. "Because it's so new, that is probably the most exciting element. It's open to anyone."

Diana Cloud, 52, of Sarasota, has signed on for seat number 161 on the six-passenger spaceship to be launched from the Mojave Desert. The spaceship, which sits atop a jet carrier aircraft, flies to 50,000 feet before it leaves the mother ship and continues on to the edge of the atmosphere at 360,000 feet, or nearly 70 miles.

Virgin Galactic, owned by billionaire Sir Richard Branson, is offering the space travel.

Cloud, who will receive two days of training before the flight, is expected to be on the 30th trip from Earth. "It's very exciting. She's a pioneer," Hilton said.

He thought of Cloud for the trip because her previous jaunts had revealed a decidedly adventurous streak. She has flown in a supersonic jet in South Africa and experienced zero gravity in a 727 cargo jet.

"Once I realized it was a great product match for her, we presented it, gave her the details," said Hilton.

The aptly named Cloud, who runs a consulting company and is also a licensed pilot, said she was immediately fascinated about the idea of space travel because "I want to see Earth with my own eyes.

"It's everything about spiritual," she said. "If you've read interviews with the astronauts, they say they'll never be the same and I do believe that. I've been blessed to be successful in life, I have extreme gratitude for that. It's an opportunity of a lifetime."

The spacecraft, flown with two pilots, will fly nearly 2,500 mph to just beyond the Earth's atmosphere in a daylong trip. The company has not yet set a date for its first flight, according to the company Web site, www.virgin-galactic.com.

"It is these spaceships that will allow affordable suborbital space tourism for the first time in the history of the universe," the Web site said.

Hundreds of other passengers from every continent have signed up, as well, according to Hilton, but Cloud is the only one who has paid a deposit through his agency.

Hilton had to compete for the privilege of selling such trips by submitting a business plan. In January, he attended three days of training at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.

So, after hearing all the details, was Hilton tempted to sign up himself?

"I would do it in a heartbeat, maybe, one day," he laughed.

Will Tourists Beat the Government Back to the Moon?

For $100 million, a U.S. company promises you the vacation of a lifetime: a week in lunar orbit
On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrin stepped onto the Sea of Tranquility, becoming the first humans to grace the moon. Shortly thereafter, the Soviets, plagued by system failures of their Soyuz 7K-L1 spacecraft, abandoned all hope of doing the same.

Now the Russians may get to the moon after all, at least if the Arlington, Virginia, firm Space Adventures has its way—and you can tag along (if you start routinely winning the lottery). The company, which has sent two wealthy businessmen, Dennis Tito and Mark Shuttleworth, to the International Space Station atop Russian rockets, has announced a joint venture with the Russian Federal Space Agency (FSA) to embark one cosmonaut and two billionaires on a trip around the moon in an upgraded Soyuz craft by 2010. The ticket price: $100 million per person.

The 8- to 15-day mission, which would mark the first time humans have ventured beyond Earth's orbit since the last Apollo mission in 1972, might include a stop at the ISS after launching from Kazakhstan. Then the crew would rendezvous with a rocket already waiting in orbit to blast toward the moon. Traveling at more than 24,000 miles an hour, the Soyuz would use the moon's gravity to slingshot around to the farside and then return home. If the flight is a success, the company will launch increasingly more ambitious missions, says Space Adventures president and CEO Eric Anderson. "Eventually we'll land on the moon," he predicts.

He says that modifying the Soyuz will be far less expensive than building a new craft. Space Adventures plans to work with the FSA to improve the guidance and communications systems. To make sure their passengers get their nine figures' worth when they pass within 62 miles of the moon's surface (for about 30 minutes), Anderson says, "we're going to put in a bigger window."

Yet the most important upgrade, FSA deputy head Nikolai Moiseyev told the RIA Novosti wire service, will be reinforced heat shields that allow the craft to roar into Earth's atmosphere not once but twice upon returning—first to slow down using the drag from atmospheric gases and a second time (after ascending to cool off) to touch down back in Kazakhstan. In contrast, the life-support system will require less work, Anderson says, because cosmonauts have already spent as long as two weeks in low-Earth orbit in a Soyuz.

So which of the world's 2,000 or so sufficiently affluent people (by Anderson's reckoning) might book a ticket? "We're talking to a few key individuals," he says, but the only name he'll drop is Gregory Olsen, the scientist who has plunked down $20 million to become Space Adventures's third visitor to the ISS in October.

Money aside, you must also possess impeccable health, because a medical crisis midflight could prompt an emergency return to Earth. The Federal Aviation Administration's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute has issued health guidelines for the U.S. space-tourism industry but has no power to enforce them. (Even if it did, the FAA has no jurisdiction over this mission, since it occurs in foreign territory.)

Perhaps more vital is psychological fitness. The trip will require three people to share a space that Anderson equates to a large SUV. NASA astronaut Michael Foale, who has traveled in a Soyuz to the ISS, calls it "cramped" but notes that the passengers won't be stuck in their seats. "You can turn around, go upside down," he says.

The biggest challenge, according to Foale, is adjusting to "the complete dependence you have on your other crewmates being helpful and considerate." Which makes one wonder how billionaires will fare flying 500,000 miles in coach.
By Joshua Tompkins

Private-spaceflight bill signed into law

WASHINGTON - President Bush gave suborbital space companies an early Christmas gift on Thursday by signing a bill that helps open the way for commercial tourism on the final frontier.

The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act, or H.R. 5382, puts a clear legislative stamp on regulations already being formulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. More significantly, the law would eventually let paying passengers fly on suborbital launch vehicles at their own risk.

The age of commercial space travel got its start this summer with SpaceShipOne's first private-sector spaceflights. Since then, hundreds of would-be tourists, including William Shatner of "Star Trek" fame and "Alien" actress Sigourney Weaver, have voiced interest in taking their own suborbital space trips aboard the successors to SpaceShipOne, which may be ready for flight in 2007 or 2008.

The backers of H.R. 5382 said the legislation was needed to reassure potential investors, such as Virgin Group billionaire Richard Branson, that they would not face crippling lawsuits in an inherently risky business.

Space policy consultant James Muncy, who has been following the legislation's up-and-down course closely, explained that the law would help the infant suborbital industry "get through the 21st-century equivalent of the barnstorming era."

Congressional staff members said Bush signed the bill on Thursday without fanfare. The FAA now has 12 months to draw up a new set of draft regulations that would provide for passenger flights. Final regulations would take effect six months later.

Safety concerns
H.R. 5382's trip through Congress to the White House was not a smooth one: The legislative language was the result of months of negotiations, and the bill didn't win final congressional passage until the final minutes of the session on Dec. 8.

The FAA's role in suborbital spaceflight safety was a key sticking point: Under the terms of the legislation, the FAA would regulate the industry over the next eight years primarily to protect the uninvolved public and the public interest. The agency would start regulating space vehicles to ensure crew and passenger safety only if the operation of those vehicles resulted in death, serious injury or a dangerous close call.

Beginning in 2012, the FAA could regulate suborbital spaceships however it saw fit.

The bill's backers said the eight-year period would give spaceship developers more freedom to experiment and also allow them to generate revenue by taking on passengers, as long as those passengers knew exactly what they were getting into.

That two-step regulatory regime rubbed some House Democrats the wrong way. During last month's floor debate, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., said the legislation could encourage a "tombstone mentality," in which regulators would have to stand by until someone got killed or seriously hurt. Nevertheless, the bill was resurrected and approved by the House, 269-120, on the last full day of November's lame-duck session.

Final consideration in the Senate had to wait until an even later mini-session in December, which was required in order to approve an intelligence reform bill. The spaceflight bill went virtually unmentioned on the Senate floor, but the behind-the-scenes debate continued up to almost the last minute.

Firm opposition from even one senator could have stymied the bill, and if the Senate had not acted before ending its session, the legislation's backers would have had to start from scratch next year — potentially delaying the industry's development.

In the end, the legislation was tacked onto a package of House bills that were approved by unanimous consent in the Senate.

'Great victory'
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., said in a press statement that the legislation's passage was a "great victory for the future of America's space efforts."

“The people who will invest the type of big dollars necessary to make this a major new step in mankind’s ascent into space have been waiting for the government to lay down the regulatory regime and set the rules of the game, and this is the first major step toward doing that,” he said.

MSNBC special report
The new space race


Approval in the Senate came as a surprise even to some of the bill's biggest backers. When informed that the legislation had actually passed, Muncy responded with a mild expletive of wonderment.

"Never watch sausage or legislation being made," he told MSNBC.com. "It's been a long, tortuous road."

After collecting his thoughts, Muncy paid tribute to officials at the FAA and the Department of Transportation, as well as members of Congress and their aides.

"Congress is clearly saying that it doesn't want to be a barrier," he said. "It wants to open doors and fly the American public into space."
© 2007 MSNBC Interactive