Space Tourism Mini-Boom

Transcendent writes "Russia sent up the second space tourist today. Mark Shuttleworth, a 28 year old computer entrepeneur from South-Africa , was launched up at around 2:22am (EDT) on the Russian Soyuz TM-34 shuttle for $20 million. He'll be spending 8 days upon the ISS in hopes to combat the spread of AIDs in Africa. Catch the (pre-launch) stories at reuters and spacedaily, and the (post-launch) story at CNN with bonus Tito quotes. Not only is he the second space-tourist, but the first African to go into space. It also seems that NASA is accepting the tourism a little more this time."

Comments

mmh?

[skilef]

When I saw this story the first time on television, I was wondering what the other countries that are working on the ISS thought about it. Wouldn't they expect every contributing country to send their most capable astronauts instead if an 'amateur'? I mean, it's a prestigious project and the chance of going something wrong should be minimized.. Sending an internet-tycoon who just read 'Russian for dummies' and 'Zero gravity engineering for dummies' is not the smartest move, i guess..

Re:mmh?

[alnapp]

IIRC, in the case of the first space tourist Dennis Tito the US initially objected, but the objections soon died down when they realised that:

It'd help the Russians pay their way

Public opinion liked the idea of him going

I knew it was his fault!

[gnovos]

He'll be spending 8 days upon the ISS in hopes to combat the spread of AIDs in Africa.

So, keeping him away from the population for 8 days will signifigantly reduce the spread of AIDS, eh? I *thought* those Russian medical standards forms looked a little dodgy.

First words

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought there was going to be ramen.

Re:First words

[Anonymous Coward]

That won't be ready for a few years.

First African In Space

[storem]

A lot of information is to be found at the First African In Space website. The are also a lot of pre-launch images in their photo gallery as well as more info on Thawte's founder Mark Shuttleworth.

WAR AGAINST AIDS!

[President Chimp Toe]

He'll be spending 8 days upon the ISS in hopes to combat the spread of AIDs in Africa

How, exactly, is he going to fight this war against the malicous AIDS enemy?

Space-lauched, laser guided missiles aimed directly at AIDS virii?

Neutrino bombs?

Phaser banks?

Re:WAR AGAINST AIDS!

[jfengel]

According to the Space Daily article:

While onboard the ISS, he will conduct scientific experiments for South African universities to help combat AIDS and other diseases. In particular Shuttleworth plans to do research on HIV proteins...While in space, Shuttleworth will also study the development of rat and ewe stem cells in microgravity.

I'm not a chemist, but perhaps there are various chemical reactions that are difficult to pull off in gravity. It still sounds like it's 98% "Gee, I'm in space!" and 2% real science, but I hope something useful does come out of it.

Re:WAR AGAINST AIDS!

[Yet Another Smith]

He's going to modify the deflector array to emit a quasi-symmetric graviton polarity beam

All of this sounds like applying a Star Trek solution to a Babylon 5 problem

Unless he's going to get the Vorlons to tweak Thabo Mbeki's mind such that he stops believing that AIDS isn't caused by HIV, and starts pursuing a policy to stop AIDS infections.

Re:WAR AGAINST AIDS!

[jo42]

He's bringing up an infected poofter in his luggage. This poofter will then sodomize him in space and scientists will study the HIV infection.

Unless, of course, he is already a poofter and is already infected with HIV.

NASA can't complain too much

[hij]

It also seems that NASA is accepting the tourism a little more this time.

NASA is stepping up their program to put educators in space. As they do this it will be harder to complain about other civilians in space. Their earlier complaints about the Russians putting up a civilian were a bit of a public relations disaster anyway. (IMHO)

Space tourism is a GREAT idea!

[tcm614ce]

Everybody's always worried about funding and what's going to drive the next space race. Here you go. It's the free market system at it's best.

goto space and be COOL

[marcus_tp]

Just think: You just sold your Dot.com company, what are you gunna do now? Screw Disneyland, I'm going to space! While I admit that going to space in a defunct Russian rocket would be TOTALLY RAD, just as traveling on AmTrack would be fun, whatever happened to the scientific traditions of space travel... I suppose if there's a market and the Russian aerospace engineers haven't been paid their salary in 91 years, do what you have to do.

Going to space has become quite a joke though, especially since N'Sync's Lance Bass is training to go up. Seriously, LANCE BASS, sweet jesus.

He likes Slashdot...

[75bhp]

...according to his page at AfricanInSpace.

Maybe when he's back he could do an interview for us.

Profitability?

[Darth_brooks]

How much money does the russian space agency make by training and sending a tourist into space?

Sending the shuttle into orbit costs roughly 42 million dollars (a number that sticks out in my mind from some obscure place. I welcome anyone who can give me a more accurate figure), so by my own idiot math, that would say three passengers turns you a tidy 18 million dollar profit. But what are the costs to the russians?

It's idle daydreaming, but if there are people willing to drop 20 million a ride, how long before the russians put together a second, tourist-only, space station? At this point it would seem to be a cash cow that could better fund their own programs. Or for that matter just pay their ground support costs.

This is the real jurassic park. (sans velociraptors)

Re:Profitability?

[DutchSter]

Supposedly when Tito went, he paid his expenses. They would not let someone go up at a dead loss to them. Depending on how/when they go up, the incremental cost of an additional person may just be in terms of food consumed, and fuel. IIRC, the Russians frequently send up shuttles with less than the full capacity. If the shuttle is going anyway, and there's an empty seat, actual launch costs wouldn't be that much more. As for training, basically all he got was physical conditioning and a good lecture on DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.

Re:Profitability?

[Anonymous Coward]

It costs $50,000 to launch one pound into space...

Re:Profitability?

[Anonymous Coward]

it is difficult to pin down the real cost of a space shuttle launch. i've heard between 500 million to 1 billion dollars per launch. the launch of a russian soyuz spacecraft is about 20 million dollars, thus the asking price for the tourist seats.

you're a bunch of wankers

[Anonymous Coward]

all of these posts sound like they're from a bunch of jealous brats who are mad their mommie didn't buy them a ticket into space.

Search Engine For Space Related Web Sites

[Youth Wire Inc.]

I'm contemplating a project to build a searchable database on the web of all web sites relevant to the commercialization of outer space. Before I begin such an enormous project, I need to know if anyone else has already initiated a project and have a working example available. My database will have a preference for publicly traded and privately held companies engaging in space burial, space tourism, launchers, and satellites. Anybody interested in helping me out with this project should drop me an email.

I went to space and I didn�t even get a tee-shirt.

[HighTeckRedNeck]

Gee whiz, $20 mill and Rahman noodles for supper. That ought to kill off the tourist market real fast. Not that I'll ever have $20 mill to burn but even eco-tourists get beef jerky and a tee-shirt.