Two New Space Tourists Announced

jfoust writes "Reuters is reporting that the space tourism company Space Adventures has signed up two Americans, at $20 million each, to fly on future Soyuz missions to the ISS. No details about who these people are, other than one is a 38-year-old male Manhattan real estate developer. One will fly in 2004 and the other in 2005. If you haven't quite saved up the $20 million yet, don't worry, the company is still looking for at least two additional tourists for flights through 2007..."

Comments

Space travel is expensive

[ObviousGuy]

Space tourists get to bring the costs down for everyone in the long run. And they really don't get much more than bragging rights and rides in the Vomit Comet for all that money.

I'd rather spend my $20,000,000 on a long vacation in Moraco.

Re:Space travel is expensive

[Fjornir]

I consider eight to ten days in orbit to be considerably more than a quick ride on the pukelator.

Re:Space travel is expensive

[-noefordeg-]

"'d rather spend my $20,000,000 on a long vacation in Moraco."

Well, duh! Don't you think he's done that too? I'm pretty sure he hasn't got exactly $20mill but probably a little more or maybe A LOT more $$$.

If I had $21mill I would have done this at once. You've got one life, why spend it in Monaco with greedy and utterly boring people with probably nothing more to think about than what to wear and when they do open their mouth the utter stupidity of what's being said will make your braincells wither away. Also.... If you are a normal person you'll get bored at a place like Monaco after a weekend...

G'damn... I would love to be able to be in space *sigh*

Better patent something fast!

Not really

[nil5]

Space tourism is pretty inconsequential and doesn't bring the cost down, since there are so few space tourists. The amount of money it costs to launch a rocket, let alone maintain the ISS DWARF the income provided by a space tourist.

You're drawing the obvious, specious conclusion

Only in America

[Space cowboy]

Yeah, I know, you're all going to mod me down for being critical, but honestly, where else in the world would the question of a lawsuit be even asked, should the thing blow up ?

It's a bloody dangerous thing to do. Accept that. Take responsibility for accepting that and "either do, or do not, there is no 'try it and sue'", to horribly paraphrase Yoda.

Simon.

Surely a better use of the money...

[Channard]

.. would be to donate it to a local hospital or charity or something, perhaps enough to fund a ward in your name or something. That way you'd be known for something less altruistic than going up into the emptiness of space for the sake of it, *and* the people in question would have people reminded daily of them, after their death.

Re:How much are the Insurance costs?

[Shihar]

I imagine normal life insurance would probably cover dying in such an accident. I find it doubtful that your life insurance has a clause in it that says you don't get any money if you die in a space. It probably is not something insurance companies ever thought of including and so, unlike say sky diving, probably still results in coverage.

Tsc, tsc.

[Anonymous Coward]

And new 2.0+ GHz computers are on the cheap, right?

Well, guess what, in Soviet Russia... $40 million is a lot of dough and can fly them a little longer...

Of course, this is not American technology, which we know is far better than Chinese, Japanese or Russian, don't we? (hint: stop having prejudice)

BTW, congrats on your yesterday's "flight". How much did it cost? (hint: if everybody is saying something else, maybe _you_ are wrong, like in that inches & feet versus SI thing)

Space Hotel?

[Bohnanza]

So basically, my taxes have gone to pay for a space hotel for billionaires.