Customers for lunar flyby

[soyuztma]

Space Adventures is selling a trip around the moon.<br />And according to this article Space Adventures founder Eric Anderson has said that:<br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>"We are fairly certain who would go on the first mission," he says, "and we even have takers for the second mission, potentially."<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[christine16]

joke its

 

[j05h]

that is great news. Any bets on who it would be on the trip? I'm assuming a cosmonaut/pilot, a rich adventurer and a 3rd person (us astronaut?)?<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[christine16]

on what they fly?

 

[shoogerbrugge]

the basic idea was they launch a 2 man soyuz to LEO (the soyuz is supposed to be made a bit less heavy or at least more propellant). In LEO it docks with a Block DM which is launched from Sea Launch, the Block DM propels it to escape velocity and it swings around the moon back to earth in a nice 8 figure, and then re-enter. Its possible but quite tight, capacity wise of Block DM and certainly no simple mission.

 

[dreada5]

Yeah its pretty cool. But (just in case you didnt know) this isn't new. SDC published space adventures anouncement a while back. If my memory serves me, they spoke of what it'd be like to be couped up for 7 or so days in a capsule that had as much living room as an SUV. I think one of SA's existing customers and potential candidate said something like it wouldn't be fun, but the view onboard such a lunar flight would far outweigh the discomfort.<br /><br />(personally I think it'd be tough... imagine 7 DAYS IN A SUV!!!) <img src="/images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

 

[shoogerbrugge]

considering that SUV's are a pretty vague and loose landyard, the soyuz has in the orbital module a volume of 6.5 cubic meters (230 cubic feet) and in the decent module 4 cubic meters (141 cubic feet). <br /><br />But I guess that a couple of mods will done to reduce the weight and increase visibility. And I believe the idea is to send only 2 people, 1 pilot and 1 paying customer

 

[j05h]

<i>> After all, they never left LEO. </i><br /><br />Zond capsule? Or do you only count it with people on board?<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[dragon04]

<font color="yellow">Am I the only one to think the Russians should test this system before even making an offer?</font><br /><br />This mission will <b>be</b> the "test, methinks. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[dreada5]

For $100 mil a shot, the russians won't be doing too many test flights.<br /><br />I think there are existing SA customer(s) (eg Greg Olsen) who believe enough in the Russians/Soyuz technology to be willing to be aboard the first such flight(s)! After all, the Russians have the experience and reliable technology. So whilst Zond wasn't manned, I'd be surprised if they now had difficulty carrying out a manned circumlunar flight.<br /><br />Its not like the russians are exactly green in this business or we could compare them to NewSpace groups.<br /><br />The only thing I'd say is that the 2009 launch date, seems rather soon... wonder if that will drift to the right a bit??<br /><br />ps. I just woudn't go first... but you could send me up to ISS on a Soyuz any day! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[shoogerbrugge]

I would consider the system being proposed rather safe. I mean, the Soyuz itself has flown pretty often, and the BlockDM is no newbie either, both are pretty reliable. In orbit docking is something the Russians have boing often enough, and they have send an Zond around the moon before. <br /><br />I'd say that quite a large part of the whole system has been tested, but the devil is in the details, there are also a couple of dozen ways the whole thing can end up in tears. Testing will take away some doubts, but most failures could happen after a testflight as well.

 

[PistolPete]

IIRC the Soviets had a hard time getting the skip reentry technique for Zond to work correctly. That's why they didn't ever have a manned Zond mission. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[gunsandrockets]

"... the Soviets had a hard time getting the skip reentry technique for Zond to work correctly. That's why they didn't ever have a manned Zond mission."<br /><br />The problem wasn't the Zond, the problem was the Proton launch vehicle intended for the manned circumlunar mission.<br /><br />The Proton had an awful early launch history with failure after failure. Before the Soviets could get the damnable thing to work well enough the Americans beat them to the first manned circumlunar flight with the Apollo 8 mission. After that the Zond mission was pointless so it was abandoned.

 

[tohaki]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>For $100 mil a shot, the russians won't be doing too many test flights. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>That is true, but I would do at least one manned launch first.