Space tourism: get ready for a trip to the high frontier

By Dick Pelletier

      

    Ever since humanity first gazed at the stars, humans have dreamed of traveling in space, but progress to realize this dream has been excruciatingly slow. The world became excited in 1969 when Neil Armstrong made that "first giant step for mankind;" however, since then we've produced only 41 years of boring earth orbits and a few unmanned flights.

    Now, all this is about to change, as a fleet of private spacecraft will soon be flooding the skies. Reports from companies attending the recent California Space 2010 Conference reveal impressive plans for jump-starting the space tourism industry.

    Today, more than forty companies are involved in design or manufacture of crew and cargo vehicles, and at least three firms are creating space habitats.

    Entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Robert Bigelow, Elon Musk and others see a future with thousands of people roaming the high frontier. Some will find jobs in space, others will go just for fun, and a few bold pioneers will one day call the high frontier their home.

    By 2030, experts predict 5-million passengers-per-year will be traveling to space hotels, recreation centers, industrial complexes, or to moon vacation trips. Permanent space population is expected to reach 70,000 during this timeframe.

    The following companies represent a variety of unique approaches in developing the high frontier:

    1- SpaceX leads the pack with their reusable spacecraft Dragon and launch vehicle Falcon 9. Led by Internet millionaire Elon Musk, SpaceX hopes to begin supplying the International Space Station by 2011.

    2- Orbital Sciences, a leading developer and maker of smaller, more affordable space and launch systems with focus on expendable cargo-only vehicles, have become a prime NASA contractor; and will begin hauling payloads to the ISS by 2012.

    3- Sierra-Nevada Corp developed the Dream Chaser spacecraft that could be running productive space errands by 2014.

    4- Bigelow Aerospace with two industrial space habitats already launched, is aggressively recruiting corporate customers to occupy their units by 2014. CEO Robert Bigelow believes tenants can get to and from his properties via future 'taxi' services provided by SpaceX, Boeing, Virgin Galactic, and others.

    5- Boeing is building the CST-100 space capsule designed to fly on a Falcon 9, Atlas V, or Delta IV rocket. Test flights will begin in 2013 and could be operational by 2015. Boeing also displayed a space station made of inflatable Bigelow Aerospace modules to be serviced by the CST-100.

    6- Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson created SpaceShipTwo that can carry two pilots and six customers on a 3.5-hour flight 62 miles above Earth where passengers will float around the cabin in zero-gravity. To re-enter the atmosphere, SpaceShipTwo's wings fold up; then unfold back to their original position for an unpowered descent to the runway. Flights could begin by 2015 or before.

    Throughout history, great nations have commanded the frontiers of their time. Britain became dominant in the 17th century through its exploration and mastery of the seas. America's leadership in the 20th century stemmed from its supremacy of the air.

    For future generations, the frontier will be space; settled, not by a single nation state, but as many space proponents believe, by a collaborating global village.

This article appeared in various print publications and on-line blogs. Comments always welcome.