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Space Tourism from UAE

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the keep-em-comin dept.

RAK writes "The only company to have sent tourists into space, Space Adventures, has announced plans to develop a commercial spaceport in the UAE, from where it will operate suborbital flights. The project will cost $265 million. The Russian-built suborbital vehicle called Explorer will have the capacity to transport up to five people to an altitude of nearly 100km in space, but the project's schedule is yet to be announced."

3 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. attraction. by wall0159 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I wonder what the particular attraction of building it there is?

    Probably 3 main things,
    - Cheap fuel
    - Wealthy elite prepared to pay
    - Cheap labour, with little workers' protection (safe working conditions, etc - this is an assumption on my part)

  2. Re:What's so great aobut the location by FleaPlus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But in the future, when the Gulf has less income, due to less oil, won't their economies die?

    This is precisely why the UAE is diversifying into things like tourism.

  3. Re:The UAE is rather active lately... by tempestdata · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Oh yes. Dubai (an emirate of the UAE is equivalent to a city state with its own king) has been trying very hard to establish itself on the map as a tourist destination, and as an economic hub for the middle east, as well as the logical connection between the east and the west.

    Apart from the space port, here are some more interesting things about the city:

    1) The World : A set of Artificial Islands being built off the coast of dubai, for the ultra rich.
    2) The Palms : 3 of them actually These are artificial peninsula built in the shape of a palm tree.. Offering luxury houses with private beaches.
    3) The worlds Tallest building : The Burj Dubai.. The end height of the building is secret, but it is rumored to be 2500ft.
    4) The worlds most luxurious hotel : The Burj al Arab. Read up on it.. its quite a place to stay. :)
    5) The World's largest mall : Dubai Mall Will be built near the Burj Dubai.
    6) The World's third largest mall : Mall of the Emirates. Smaller only to Dubai Mall, and Mall of America
    7) The Hydropolis : The world's first under water hotel

    BTW, this country has no income tax. Gas costs about $1.80 a gallon. Labor is cheap.. you can get a house boy/house maid for about $250-$300 a month LEGALLY. I know.. I had one.

    This country is quite liberal too. Alcohol is allowed, though gambling isn't. Newspapers are censored to some degree, and nudity in movies is also censored.
    At the same time, people can wear whatever they want.. beaches in dubai (Jumeirah beach in particular is quite popular with the western folk) look a lot like american beaches. Lots of bikinis, tight jeans, short shorts. the whole deal.

    --
    - Tempestdata