Space Adventures LTD: The Future of Space Tourism

Written by: Finn Orfano • Edited by: RC Davison
Published Sep 24, 2009 • Related Guides: Space Travel | International Space Station

Fly around the Moon, orbit the Earth, fly like Superman in zero gravity, and so much more. Space Adventures LTD shows us that you no longer need to be an astronaut to explore the final frontier.

Boldly go...

Who says you have to be an astronaut to go up into space? According to Eric C. Anderson, the CEO of Space Adventures LTD., you don't have to be. As long as you have $15 million to $100 million dollars, Mr. Anderson's company will provide you with the greatest space exploration adventure of your lifetime. Space Adventures LTD. is the first of its kind, a manned space travel program that offers to send you, me, and the next person to explore space - given the proper training first, of course.

What is your cup of tea? Zero-gravity flights? Cosmonaut training? Would you like to take a flight to the International Space Station or perhaps around the moon itself? You can do all of the above and so much more. Space Adventures began in 1998 and the company has a staff that is highly qualified in astronautics - including Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Usachev to name a couple of people. Since its launch, Space Adventures has sold over a $170 million in space tourism flights.

Space Adventures Menu

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Below you will find a menu of some of the programs which Space Adventures LTD has to offer.

Orbital Mission - Cost negotiable

Get a nice view of the Earth from up above as you orbit the planet every 90 minutes, traveling at 17,500 miles per hour, for a total of up to 12 days in space onboard the ISS.

Spacewalk Mission - $15 million

A sub-mission of sorts on the Orbital Mission, Spacewalk focuses on an important aspect of an astronaut's work - leaving the space station and floating above Earth while working on the station. Guess what? Now you can do that too!

Suborbital Mission - $102,000

At approximately 62 miles above the Earth, experience your own weightlessness and become a part of the the space travel industry, help build the foundation and inspire future space explorers.

Lunar Mission - $100 million

Take a flight to the moon, witness your first 'Earth-rise'.

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Zero Gravity Flights - $4,950 per person/$165,000 per whole plane charter (35 people)

Experience the fun and pleasures of flying like Superman and an astronaut.

First Time Clients

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In 2001, Dennis Tito became the world's very first private space tourist. Tito, an American businessman, received plenty of intense training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. He first dipped into centrifuge training, a supersonic jet flight, and a Zero-Gravity flight before finally moving on to the final stage.

In April of 2002, Mark Shuttleworth (the first African-American in space) passed the company's Orbital Pre-Qualification Program and participated in a Zero Gravity flight, spacecraft communication, and centrifuge training. Shuttleworth spent 10 days in space onboard the International Space Station with two of his crewmates, Italian astronaut Roberto Vittori and Russian commander Yuri Gidzenko. Shuttleworth has recognized the program as both "a personal challenge and adventure", encouraging students in South Africa to embrace science and technology.

Last but not least, Guy Laliberte, the CEO of Cirque de Soleil, will be going on a space adventure himself in October 2009.

The Future of Space Tourism

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Space Tourism is not only an awe-inspiring experience, it is an important step for mankind. The jump from one world to the next, then one solar system to another, and (eventually) one galaxy to another is perhaps the most important challenge mankind will possibly ever face, as it is crucial for the human race to spread beyond the planet Earth in order to ensure our future survival.

Kardashev referred to this process as a Civilization scale:

Type-I civilization can harness a planet's energy
Type-II can harness a star's energy
Type-III can harness a galaxy's energy

Currently, we are a Type-0 slowly transitioning to Type-I, which will be the most difficult task of them all. Space Adventures LTD not only provides an opportunity and an adventure to individuals who are not astronauts, it is the wave of the future, the future of space tourism, and an important milestone in mankind's survival.