Monday, January 19, 2009
space rides
Ever wondered what it'd be like in space? Your dream now becomes a reality with NASA's Suborbital Space Rides. Passengers would spend time in microgravity during rides being offered by aspiring space launch services firms including Virigin Galactic, XCOR Aerospace and others. The Personal Spaceflight Federation (PSF) is the leading organization to make human space rides come true. The fares, which so far range from $95,000 to $200,000 help fund Planetary Sciences division in NASA. This program also has attracted scientists who have been conducting experiments during parabolic flights, which mimic microgravity with 20 to 30 second freefalls through the atmosphere aboard jet aircraft. In addition to getting a ride to outer space, scientists have proposed particle physics experiments, a genetics test, investigations to monitor the sun, an astrophysical experiment related to the theory of relativity, and several materials science exposure runs.
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4 comments:
It's amazing how average citizens can now take trips to suborbital space and be able to experience things that were exclusively done by trained astronauts. However, it seems that particle physics experiments would be difficult to conduct, considering that the suborbital hop into space only lasts 3-5 minutes. No matter what, this is an amazing feat in which NASA is now able to offer the public an experience of a lifetime, for a price.
Resources: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/14/nasa-microgravity.html
I've heard about this idea for quite some time now, however I wasn't aware that it was active and in service. Adding to what Dan said, even if the rides are only 3-5 minutes long, its on the order of several magnitudes cheaper than to send rockets up to space or operate the space shuttle. Hopefully they'll be able to get the work done in the amount of time allotted, imagine the new breakthroughs that may arrive out of this.
This is great that it is open to the public but I feel as if they wouldn't just let anyone do this. The price for the short amount of time is very expensive, and although it would be an experience of a lifetime I don't know if it would be worth it. Also even though now it's only 3-5 minutes, I feel like technology is advancing so quickly people will start going on vacations to space soon.
David,
The chance to take a space ride is great - but I think the really fascinating part of this is the experimenting that can be done in an otherwise prohibitive situation.
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