Third 'Space Tourist' Blasts Off Into Space

auckland map writes "A Russian Soyuz rocket has lifted off from the Central Asian steppes, launching U.S. millionaire scientist Gregory Olsen and a new Russian-U.S. crew on a two-day journey to the international space station. Olsen is reportedly paying $20 million for this trip." From the article: "The cash-strapped Russian Federal Space Agency has turned to space tourism to generate money. Olsen is the third non-astronaut to visit the orbiting station. California businessman Dennis Tito paid about $20 million for a week long trip to the space station in 2001, and South African Mark Shuttleworth followed a year later."

Comments

"Don't call him a space tourist"

[brian.glanz]

"Don't call him a space tourist" as Alan Boyle says.

Let's say scientist, engineer, inventor, or maybe inspiration (his bio at his company's site).

Re:"Don't call him a space tourist"

[brian.glanz]

"Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. A tourist is someone who travels at least fifty miles from home, as defined by the World Tourism Organization (a United Nations body)." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourist

50 miles: check.

recreation: not so much, no.

Olsen paid for access to a laboratory in which he will study things he could not anywhere else, such as crystal growth and infrared imaging sensor performance. Even during the two-day Soyuz journey to the ISS, Olsen is operating some oxygen systems and filling other small but necessary roles. He's spent the last several months training more as a member of the crew, even learning Russian (mandatory). He is not just along for the ride.

Sounds like a great holiday to me, but as a matter of respect and perhaps even by definition, I would not call him a tourist.

Re:Proud of the Russians

[tftp]

The RKA only builds rockets and LEO spaceships, it does not really manufacture or manage satellites and probes. In USA, for example, JPL does most of the satellite work, along with the private sector, so this division of labor is not out of the ordinary.

In Russia, space science is done by the Academy of Sciences, as you can see at the IKI Web Site, for example. Communications satellites are done by other organizations, civilian as well as military.

With regard to your question, the list of current and future projects that are managed by IKI is on that Web page, with English translations in most cases. Here is an example of one of the projects.

Schools will get to talk to Olsen via ham radio

[leighklotz]

According to the ARRL, two schools will get to talk to Greg Olsen (KC2ONX) via ham radio:

Onboard the Soyuz transporter will be Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev and space tourist Greg Olsen, KC2ONX, of Princeton, New Jersey. ... While in space, Olsen plans to conduct Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school group QSOs with two schools in New Jersey and one in New York. Following joint crew operations, Expedition 11 Commander Sergei Krikalev, Flight Engineer John Phillips, KE5DRY, and Olsen are scheduled to return to Earth October 10 in the Soyuz vehicle now docked at the ISS.

Re:How long does he get to stay up there?

[tftp]

It costs $3,750.00 + Tax, as long as you are in Florida. Add some tickets to and from if you are elsewhere.

http://www.zerogcorp.com/Book/Bookaseat.aspx

Seems a bit different in Kazakhstan

[reality-bytes]

The last three manned launches from Baikonur I watched live (Exp 10, 11, 12)

They went on time as advertised (Exp 12 actually launched in 'moderate' weather).

Now I fully understand the reason, the Shuttle has to be 'just right' to launch because there are very few abort options whereas the Soyuz can be (and has been) aborted in most if not all stages of flight.

Certainly, if it was a Shuttle Launch, you could say that any pre-advertised launch could be raising false hopes but a Soyuz cancellation is 'unusual' these days.