Space Adventures

Infobox_Company
company_name = Space Adventures, Ltd.
company_type = Private
foundation = 1998
location = Vienna, Virginia, USA
industry = Commercial Spaceflight
products = space tourism
homepage = [http://www.spaceadventures.com/ www.spaceadventures.com]

Space Adventures, Ltd. is a space tourism company that provides access to space to private citizens. It is the only company that sends tourists to space. [cite web | first = John| last = Schwartz| title = Google Co-Founder Books a Space Flight | publisher = The New York Times Online | date = June 11, 2008 | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/technology/11soyuz.html?hp | accessdate = 2008-06-11]

Background

Eric C. Anderson is the president and CEO of Space Adventures. He co-founded Space Adventures in 1998 with several other entrepreneurs from the aerospace, adventure travel and entertainment industries and has managed the company over the past several years, selling more than $120M in space tourist flights.cite web | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003675354_spacetours21.html?syndication=rss | title = Travel agency launches tourists on out-of-this-world adventures | author = Kim Hart | date = 2007-04-21 | publisher = Seattle Times | accessdate=2008-05-26] The company sells a variety of flights such as Zero-Gravity flights, cosmonaut training and actual spaceflights. In May 2001, it sent American businessman Dennis Tito to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Soyuz spacecraft for a reported $20 million payment, making him the first space tourist in history.South African businessman Mark Shuttleworth did the same in April 2002, becoming the 'First African in Space'. Gregory Olsen became the third private citizen to travel to the ISS in October 2005,, followed by the first female space tourist, Anousheh Ansari, who completed her 10-day orbital mission in September 2006. [cite web | url = http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2006-09-28-ansari-return_x.htm | title = Back to Earth: Expedition 13 astronauts, Ansari to leave ISS | date = 2006-09-28 | publisher = USA Today | accessdate=2008-05-26] Charles Simonyi, an ex-executive at Microsoft who managed the Office product group became the world's fifth space tourist in April 2007.

In 2008, two people are expected to travel to the ISS: Russian parliament member Vladimir Gruzdev, and Richard Garriott, the son of scientist and astronaut Owen K. Garriott.Cite web|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/scienceNewsMolt/idUKBAL84983820070928|title=Next space tourist is second-generation astronaut|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=October 7|publisher=Reuters|year=2007|author=Reuters]

Space Adventures acquired Zero Gravity Corporation (http://www.gozerog.com/sa_acquisition.html) in March 2008.

Explorer suborbital vehicle

The company, along with Prodea and FSA, is currently developing a suborbital space transportation system, called Explorer. The vehicle has been designed by Myasishchev Design Bureau, a Russian aerospace organization which has developed a wide-array of aircraft and space systems.

The Explorer aerospace system will consist of a flight-operational carrier aircraft, the M-55X, and a rocket spacecraft. It will have the capacity to transport up to five people to space. [cite web | url = http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11393569/ | title = New group to develop passenger spaceship | author = Alan Boyle | date = 2006-2-17 | publisher = MSNBC | accessdate=2008-05-26]

paceports

Space Adventures is involved in the development of two commercial spaceports, one in the United Arab Emirates and the other in Singapore. The UAE spaceport is to be located in Ras al-Khaimah, located less than an hour drive from Dubai. [cite web | title = Building a Tourist Spaceport | url = http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2006/02/70249 | date = 2006-02-19
accessdate = 2008-05-26 | publisher = Wired] In addition to suborbital spaceflights, Spaceport Singapore will operate astronaut training facilities and a public education and interactive visitor center. Spaceport Singapore visitors will be able to experience Zero-Gravity flights, G-force training in a centrifuge, and simulated space walks in a neutral buoyancy tank. [cite web | title = Spaceport Singapore: One-Stop Shopping for the Future Space Tourist | url = http://www.space.com/news/060613_singapore_spaceport.html | author = Tariq Malik | date = 2006-06-13 | publisher = Space.com | accessdate = 2008-05-26] However, the company has found it difficult to attract funding and partners for the Singaporeproject. [cite web | url = http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/11/asia/AS-GEN-Singapore-Space-Tourism.php | title = 'US space tourism company short of financing, partners for Singapore spaceport' | date = 2007-09-11 | accessdate=2008-05-26 | publisher = International Herald Tribune]

pacewalk

On July 21, 2006 the company announced that it would begin offering a spacewalk option to its clients traveling to the ISS. The addition of the spacewalk, which would allow participants to spend up to 1.5 hours outside of the space station, would cost about $15 million and would lengthen the orbital mission approximately six to eight days. The spacewalk would be completed in the Russian designed Orlan space suit. The training for the spacewalk would require an extra month of training on top of the six months already required. [cite web | title = Space Adventures Offers $15 Million Spacewalks for ISS Visitors | url = http://www.space.com/news/060721_spacetourist_eva.html | author = Tariq Malik | publisher = Space.com | date = 2006-06-21 | accessdate = 2008-05-26]

Lawsuit

Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto is suing Space Adventures as his trip was canceled by them for medical reasons after he paid $21,000,000 and no refund was given. [cite web | url = http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=6351 | title = 'Japanese businessman defrauded of $21 million by the U.S. space tourism company' | date = 2008-09-26 | accessdate=2008-09-28 | publisher = Japan Probe]

ee also

*Space tourism
*Space colonization
*Private spaceflight
*Commercial Astronaut
*Space Tourism Society
*List of private spaceflight companies
*Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination

References

External links

* [http://www.spaceadventures.com/ Space Adventures]
* [http://www.spacedaily.com/news/tourism-03d.html Space Daily article on 2004/2005 space tourist contract]
* [http://www.spaceportsingapore.com/ Spaceport Singapore]
* [http://www.janes.com/aerospace/civil/news/misc/janes060620_1_n.shtml Space tourism: ready for the masses?] 20 June 2006