To Infinity and Beyond
Imagine planning your next family vacation. Will you go to Florida? Or Hawaii? Maybe even somewhere local like St Louis. What if one of your options was space where you float in a bubble or sit out and just look at earth and the stars. Yes, I am sure this sound like some sci fi movie that we will never see but in actuality it could be closer than you think. Today I am writing on the privatizing of space exploration. It has started with an award called “ The X Prize” and there are plans for actual space resorts on the drawing board.
The book Spirit of St Louis written by Charles Lindbergh brought both Gregg E. Maryniak and Peter H. Diamandis to the realization prizes have lead to some of the best industries. Diamandis thought if it worked for the aviation field maybe it could possibly work for space travel. This is how the X Prize was formed.
In 1995 the leaders presented the idea of having the X Prize home in St. Louis. St. Louis has history in space and aviation dating back to the 1904 worlds fair, and the Mercury, Gemini, and the Apollo spacecrafts were designed and built in St Louis. Before the official announcement could be made the leaders of the X Prize brought in experts from NASA and the FAA for trainings and to help recruit competitors. It was in 1996 under the arch that the X Prize Competition was announced. Receiving its first corporate backing in 1997 from the Smithsonian and Bank One to the tune of 5 million dollars toward the prize and in 2004 the X Prize was renamed the Ansari after a family had the same dream of space travel saw their donation being able to help other attain this goal.
The space ship one and its launch ship the White Knight was funded by Paul G Allen and was designed by Burt Rutan. On June 21 Mike Melvill piloted this innovated plane to an awesome 62 miles height and right in to the history books. This was just the first of the goals for virgin to win the Ansari X prize
The Ansari X prize set the height to surpass, the 67-mile goal was set by military in August of 1963. With the White Knight turbo jet carrying Space Ship One to its launch altitude. Space Ship One’s rocket burned for 84 seconds leaving a wonderful exhaust line. This burn sent the Space Ship One on its path climbing for just about a minute after the engine shut down.
Burt Rutan stated “I absolutely have to develop a space tourism system that is at least 100 times safer than anything that has flown man into space, and probably significantly more than that We believe we have solved these and we don’t believe we’ll see the rolls tomorrow But if we do, we don’t believe they’re dangerous. … After all, what we’re doing is research.” Marion Blakely, administrator of the FAA. Was quoted “We know there will be risks, but those are risks are worth taking Branson expects it could fly 3,000 people within five years and has the hope every country will have their own astronauts not just a select few.
It is the hope of Virgin Galaxies too not only bring everyday people to space but to put them on a space station in true resort form. With such activities like space walking with no space suit, shopping, and a place to view stars and planets. Along with the other activities you would find at any normal resort. This is the hope of Virgin Galaxies in the very near and new future.
“To Infinity and Beyond” and “Space the Final Frontier” the words of Science Fiction and Fantasy or is it truly time for these thoughts to become reality. If we step back Fifty years ago space was something to look at and marvel about its wonders. Today it’s almost ho-hum.
Only the dreamers and risk takers will lead unto the future, So where’s your vacation going to be in the year 2020.
.http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/index.htm
http://www.spaceislandgroup.com/press_5.html
http://www.xpcup.com/index.cfm
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