Introduction Could you take a space vacation in future There are plenty of enthusiasts aiming to make this exciting dream come true but it’s still early days for private spaceflight So for the time being a ticket to space will be a very special high-priced item However pioneer companies such as Blue Origin SpaceX and Virgin Galactic are working to perfect the technology that’s needed In the future space tourists may have a choice of a space joyride a trip to a space hotel or maybe even a flight to the Moon or beyond Read on for more Crabtree Publishing Company www.crabtree.com 1-800-387-7650 Companies such as SpaceX above and Blue Origin compete to create technology that will fly tourists into space
Contents Ticket to Space Training for Space Flying Beyond Our World Winning the XPrize SpaceShipTwo Blue Origin Blasts Off Spaceport Earth Dragon Past the Moon Hotel in Space Menu at the Space Hotel Rescue in Space Space Cruise Space Elevator Glossary Websites and Further Information Index and About the Author 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 31 32
Ticket to space Space tourism started in 2001 with a privately-funded visit to the International Space Station Soyuz spacecraft attached to one end of the ISS What do the words space tourist really mean They describe a citizen who pays for space travel personally rather than being sponsored by an official agency such as a government Seven space tourists flew to space from 2001 to 2009 each paying from 20 to 40 million to stay for a week on the International Space Station ISS The mission patch worn by Dennis Tito on his space suit Who was the first space tourist An American engineer Dennis Tito He showed that good health and fitness are more important than youth as he was 60 years old when he stayed on the ISS 4
Dennis Tito far left flew to the ISS with the Soyuz Commander Talgat Musabayev middle and Flight Engineer Yury Baturin How long was Tito on board the ISS His time on the ISS lasted for 7 days 22 hours 4 minutes During this time the station circled Earth 128 times completing each orbit in about 90 minutes The ISS travels around Earth at a speed of about 17,000 mph 27,350 km h How did he get to the ISS Tito flew to the ISS in the Russian Soyuz TM-32 spacecraft He returned in the TM-31 which was already docked at the ISS having previously taken a crew of three there Solar panels make electricity from sunlight The Soyuz has three sections or modules In front is the orbital module which docks to the ISS Behind this is the descent module in which the crew sits The rear service module has solar panels which supply electricity Is the Soyuz a new design No it’s a three-seat spacecraft that dates from 1966 though there have been many upgrades since then The latest version the Soyuz MS first flew in 2016 It will be in regular service until at least the mid-2020s 5
