Space tourism off and running!

[Swampcat]

<font color="orange"><b>Passengers Queue For Out Of This World Flights</b><br /><br />Mojave CA (AFP) Oct 06, 2004<br />As the first private manned spacecraft basks in its first flush of triumph, scores of star-gazing earthlings are already stumping up big bucks for out of this world vacations of the future.</font><br /><br />More... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>

 

[kelle]

That's promising. With a lot of people interested, space tourism will flourish. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />And after a while the prices will drop, and even more people will be interested (me among others)

 

[arobie]

For a while it has only been surveys saying that people will buy tickets to space. Now it is solidifying. It is becoming real. People at now paying to go to space, not just 1 or 2, but over 100 have already paid just days after barrier piercing, record breaking, tourism jumpstarting flights...only days after...<br /><br />Wow this is awesome! It is real! Space tourism is -like said earlier- off and running!!

 

[Swampcat]

Not only are passengers lining up for tickets, but competition for launch sites is growing along with opportunities for potential spacecraft builders. Looks like 2007 will be the big year for Space Tourism with trips to space going for as low as $99,500.<br /><br />I think I'll wait for the price to come down more. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br /><font color="orange"><b>Spaceports compete in race for business</b><br />What will it take to attract well-off space passengers?<br /><br />By Alan Boyle<br />Science editor<br />MSNBC<br />Updated: 6:40 p.m. ET Oct. 6, 2004<br /><br />MOJAVE, Calif. - Even before the dust had settled from the $10 million Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight, the sand was being kicked up for another, potentially more lucrative space race: the competition between spaceports for final-frontier tourist ventures.</font><br /><br />More...<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>

 

[Swampcat]

<font color="orange"><b>Space Tourism Initiative Announces Trade-Only Space Tourism Summit</b><br /><br />The Space Tourism Initiative, a new organization chartered with the growth of the emerging space tourism industry, announced the Space Tourism Summit, a trade-only event for professionals in the emerging space tourism industry, and the Space Tourism Conference, an event for would-be space tourists. Both annual events kick off in 2005.</font><br /><br />More...<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>

 

[Swampcat]

<font color="orange"><b>Space Tourism Seeking Public Investors</b><br /><br />It was billionaire Paul Allen's $20 million that allowed Burt Rutan to build SpaceShipOne, the first privately financed manned rocket to reach space.<br /><br />In Oklahoma, a state tax credit was key to getting Rocketplane Ltd. funded to begin work on a reusable launch vehicle for space tourism flights that would originate from one of the state's old Air Force bases.<br /><br />In California, meanwhile, Xcor Aerospace seeks government contracts to develop technologies that can be adapted to its real goal of developing its own passenger rocket.<br /><br />Such disparate approaches to funding the entrepreneurs of the new small-scale commercial space race emerged as one of the themes of this year's annual conference of the Space Frontier Foundation, a group that hopes to expand space access beyond government programs.</font><br /><br />More... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="3" color="#ff9900"><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>------------------------------------------------------------------- </em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong><em>"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Unsuccessful rebellions, indeed, generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government."</em></strong></font></p><p><font size="1" color="#993300"><strong>Thomas Jefferson</strong></font></p></font> </div>