Russia Unveils Space Shuttle for Tourists

joestump98 writes: "Yahoo! News is running a story about those crazy, cash strapped, Russians building a space shuttle for tourists. For under $100,000 you can take a one-hour flight that includes a mere 3 minutes of weightlessness. Apparently the flights are to start around 2004/2005." 21mhz adds a link to this press release from Russia's Myasishchev Design Bureau, writing: "On close examination, it turns out to be a downscaled version of Buran."

Comments

picture of the thing

[LordSah]

If you'd like to see a picture of the craft, it's on the BBC.

Expansive for what you get

[SomethingOrOther]

For under $100,000 you can take a one-hour flight that includes a mere 3 minutes of weightlessness

If its weightlessnes you are after, wouldn't it be a damn sight cheeper just to put a plane into a dive and float arround for a bit..... as in an astronoughts training.
(The plane is in free-fall.... Exacly the same effect as being in orbit)

What do you get for your monney other than going on a plane that goes very high (tm) ?

Crisscross?

[red5]

To this now the russians are the crazy capitalists and it's us with the draconian anti-freedom laws (DMCA).

Normal people?

[Judg3]

The makers of this new spaceship believe there is a huge untapped market of would-be space tourists - ordinary people willing to pay for the holiday of a lifetime.

I don't know about you, but I sure as hell don't consider anyone able to pay $100,000 for 3 minutes of weightlessness normal.

But I must admit, it's a cool idea and brings us 1 step closer to a trip to the moon costing as much as a flight from New York to London. But hell, even the cost of that flight is out of my price range.

A New 50 Mile High Club

[phunhippy]

OR however many miles high they will take us... but thats the important part!!

1 pilot.. and room for 2!!!

3 minute quickie in space for 100 grand.. 200 if yer payin for your partner... now that will be the new IN thing... hehe...

More than just one flight - read the article

[Ice Tiger]

People,

If you READ the article then you can see that you actually get more than just a one hour flight, from the press release :-

"At the peak of its parabolic trajectory, passengers will experience several minutes of weightlessness and see the Earth from space. Four days of space flight orientation including centrifuge, zero-gravity and high-altitude jet flight training, as well as safety and onboard system lessons are expected to be required."

Not so sure about the complexity of the craft with ejection of the motor at burnout and deployable aerodynamic control surfaces with a 'chute for final landing, for a contrast in design for the same problem take a look at http://www.bristolspaceplanes.com/projects/ascende r.shtml