Travelers getting closer to the stars
Wanted: pilot astronauts for Virgin Galactic LLC, which says it is the world’s first commercial “spaceline.”
“Qualified candidates should be full-course graduates of a recognized test pilot school who are broadly experienced with both high-performance fast jet-type airplanes and large multi-engine types,” said Virgin. The company said prior spaceflight experience is desirable.
Virgin Galactic said it is on track to be the world’s first commercial “spaceline.”
Even skeptics have to admit that space travel is the next frontier, which this month is marking the 50 year anniversary of Russia putting the first man, Yuri Gagarin, into space.
Skyscanner says it is marking the occasion by “blasting off into orbit and rounding up the best space attractions on terra firma and beyond” which include:
—The Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “Get up close and personal to NASA’s launch and landing facilities where you’ll be able to experience what it would be like to strap in and blast off into orbit with the shuttle launch simulator,” Skyscanner says. Visitors can even get the chance to chat with a veteran shuttle astronaut, whilst rocket fans can visit the ‘Rocket Garden’, a collection of NASA’s rockets brought to life with dramatic lighting effects.
—Yuri celebrations. From Australia to Afghanistan there will be space parties celebrating Yuri’s achievement with a mixture of music, food, talks and film.”Try Kosmica at The Arts Catalyst in London for space themed live music and screenings, or join the Yuri walk in South Bank which will cover the ‘Three Orbits of the South Bank,’” Skyscanner says. There are more than 440 events in 70 countries taking place in six continents.
—Virgin Galactic. Tickets are US$200,000 for budding astronauts to sample zero gravity in space (which includes two days of pre-flight preparation at Spaceport America in New Mexico).
—The Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre or Star City remains a closed area but there are new plans to turn the complex into a tourist attraction by adding hotels and business centers, according to The Telegraph. Various spacecraft will be on display.
—The Smithsonian national Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, boasts the world’s largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world, including Apollo 11 devices.
—In a bid to make space travel more affordable, Danish non-profit organization Copenhagen Suborbitals has been working on their own mission to launch a human being into space. Working with comparatively tiny budgets, the group has already designed built and launched a series of prototype rockets and are getting closer to their goal of launching a human into space.
By David Wilkening
David
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