Sarah Brightman's ISS Trip In Peril 105
RocketAcademy writes "Actress/singer Sarah Brightman's trip to the International Space Station may not happen in 2015 as scheduled.
Space Adventures works with the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) to fly private citizens like Brightman on Soyuz taxi flights. Those taxi missions normally last eight days, but NASA and Roscosmos are considering a plan to extend the 2015 taxi flight to one month, so it can carry a scientist to perform some additional research aboard ISS. If that happens, Brightman will lose her seat.
This situation points to the need for more flexible transportation options and new orbital facilities which are not subject to the same operational restrictions as ISS. SpaceX, Boeing, and Sierra Nevada are working on the transportation problem, while Bigelow Aerospace expects to begin launching its Space Station Alpha in 2015. So, the era of citizen astronauts visiting ISS may be drawing to a close."
With good reason (Score:2, Insightful)
ISS is a research platform.
Flying privately should only be done at great expense as it is since time and space is limited there.
And in other news, thinking of starting Space Flight Auction house.
Coming soon to a theatre near you!
subject (Score:5, Insightful)
A singer/tourist might have to give up a spot to someone who will do science. What's the downside, again?
"This situation points to the need..." (Score:5, Insightful)
Need? Because ISS's most important mission is giving rich people a place to float around in microgravity. That this is even an issue that a celebrity is getting bumped in favor of a scientist is absurd.