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Space The Almighty Buck

SpaceX Wants To Launch 4 Tourists Into Super High Orbit (nbclosangeles.com) 81

Posted by BeauHD from the worth-every-penny dept.
SpaceX is working with Space Adventures to launch up to four tourists into a super high orbit, possible by the end of next year. "Ticket prices are not being divulged but expected to be in the millions," reports NBC Los Angeles. From the report: For this trip, paying customers will skip the space station and instead orbit two to three times higher, or roughly 500 miles to 750 miles above Earth. It's a lofty goal that would approach the record 850-mile-high orbit achieved by Gemini 11's Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon in 1966. The tourist flight "will forge a path to making spaceflight possible for all people who dream of it," SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement.

SpaceX will use the same kind of Dragon capsule that will launch NASA astronauts to the space station, possibly in another few months. The capsule has flown only once in space so far, making its debut last year in a successful test flight without a crew. Space Adventures spokeswoman Stacey Tearne said the tourist flight could occur in the last quarter of 2021. The company is in discussions with "several potential clients." No professional pilot or astronaut will be required, Tearne said, because the Dragon is fully autonomous. But passengers will be able to control the spacecraft if required, she said in an email.
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SpaceX Wants To Launch 4 Tourists Into Super High Orbit More

SpaceX Wants To Launch 4 Tourists Into Super High Orbit

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  • Um... (Score:5, Funny)

    by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 ) on Tuesday February 18, 2020 @07:13PM (#59741284)

    SpaceX Wants To Launch 4 Tourists Into Super High Orbit

    Will they be coming back? TFS doesn't say.

    I'd have second thoughts if SpaceX calls it the Starlink Adventure.

    • Musk needed beta testers who would pay. Got the idea from Microsoft. Each gets the ride of their life. Profit!

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      Will they be coming back?

      If not, there's some politicians & celebrities I'd like to buy tickets for.

    • Will they be coming back?

      THIS. You get launched for a pittance. The RETURN FEE, however, is just ever-so-slightly higher. Payment in full -- and before delivery.

      So: who do they forward the taxes to? Whatever state/country they happen to be over when the transaction occurs, or ... ? What if it's international waters -- would it be tax free? (See: The Man Who Sold the Moon" by Heinlein [wikipedia.org], the "As it passes directly overhead" paragraph.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Kjella ( 173770 )

        So: who do they forward the taxes to? Whatever state/country they happen to be over when the transaction occurs, or ... ? What if it's international waters -- would it be tax free?

        Space is international waters, flag state rules apply. So that'd be US law aboard a Dragon, if it's something like the ISS it's probably regulated by a treaty.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

          So: who do they forward the taxes to? Whatever state/country they happen to be over when the transaction occurs, or ... ? What if it's international waters -- would it be tax free?

          Space is international waters, flag state rules apply. So that'd be US law aboard a Dragon, if it's something like the ISS it's probably regulated by a treaty.

          ISS is actually by which module you're in. At least that's how it is for which laws apply. Do it in the Russian module, and Russian laws apply. Do it in the US module, and U

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Boutzev ( 325568 )

        Return trip will be available with version 1.4 update, hopefully coming next year. Till then - enjoy the beautiful view of our planet or watch Netflix on the in-flight entertainment screen.

    • Came for this.

      Phrasing still counts, and this one doesn't even have a tricky comma.

    • This could potentially approach the inner Van Allen belt. No thanks.

  • "This is your automated flight crew" (Score:5, Funny)

    by bobbied ( 2522392 ) on Tuesday February 18, 2020 @07:21PM (#59741300)

    This is your automated flight crew. We have fully automated the operation of this spacecraft to insure your safety and comfort during your orbital fight and have programed it to deal with any possible situation which could arise during your flight.

    Please sit back, relax, and enjoy your orbital fight, secure in the knowledge that nothing can go wrong.....

    . Can go wrong ..

    .. Can go wrong....

    .. Can go wrong.

    • That was like a 15 seconds episode of Black Mirror.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      The Russians prefer more automated craft compared to American ones so there is precedence for this. And of course Russia has had space tourists for years, the first being a Japanese TV reporter who went up to Mir.

      Thing is it's probably just more BS. They said they were going to do tourist trips around the Moon by 2020. Maybe just putting it out there to see if there is much interest.

      Doing better than Virgin Galactic though.

  • WHAT!!! How are the passengers going to have a clue about piloting or maneuvering a spaceship? That's nuts.

    Also, the price speculation of in the millions seems rather high but I suppose it would depend on the length of the flight. Are we talking 15 minutes total or can we go up for a three hour tour with food and drink? I could see the price tag changing and definitely ramping up.

    Still, very cool stuff. It would be awesome if they some how build a city on the moon that we could go visit for the price of fly

    • Re:Passengers can drive if necessary... (Score:4, Funny)

      by bobbied ( 2522392 ) on Tuesday February 18, 2020 @07:24PM (#59741306)

      A three hour tour?

      Let me guess, two crew and five passengers?

      Look out if the weather starts getting rough...

    • According to this [casio.com] calculator the orbital period at 1000 km is about an hour and 45 minutes. So that's the minimum flight time. But it wouldn't take any more energy and would add almost no risk to let them stay up all day. IMO food and drink adds more risk than additional orbits.
      • the higher the altitude the closer to the Van Allen belts and generally the more radiation from various effects.

      • The trip will last five days according to TFA

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AC-x ( 735297 )

          That must be a 5 day stay at the ISS, you can't stay 5 days in a Dragon capsule there's no toilet!

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by ncc74656 ( 45571 ) *

            That must be a 5 day stay at the ISS, you can't stay 5 days in a Dragon capsule there's no toilet!

            Piddle packs and a low-fiber diet should take care of that problem, same as they did for Apollo. For extra fun, add in a dump valve so the piddle packs can be emptied into space.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by necro81 ( 917438 )

            That must be a 5 day stay at the ISS, you can't stay 5 days in a Dragon capsule there's no toilet!

            As time goes by, I have an ever increasing appreciation for Apollo. They went all the way to the Moon and back without a toilet!

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Megane ( 129182 )
            5 days is about as long you can go without doing Number Two in zero-gee. But then you really have to go.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Dunbal ( 464142 ) *
      It's orbital, not sub-orbital. So I assume that means at least one orbit - so over 90 minutes.

    • You would think they would want a pilot, if nothing more than to point out interesting things, tell stories, etc. Basically be a highly overqualified tour guide who can take over/assist in an emergency.

    • ...It would be awesome if they some how build a city on the moon that we could go visit ... While it may happen in my life time, by the time the price comes down to where I could afford it, I likely will be far to old...

      Hey, there's still a chance ya reach the moon, and maybe even spend a few nights at some future Marriott Metropolis on (or near) the Lunar South Pole. That is, if Musk has contests and give winners getting free rides. I'm sure I'd win - there's just so many people who want me off the planet.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Cyberax ( 705495 )

      WHAT!!! How are the passengers going to have a clue about piloting or maneuvering a spaceship? That's nuts.

      It won't need constant piloting. Once in orbit it'll just _stay_ there, you need attitude controls for better viewing experience and being able to do the deorbit burn. And the orbit probably will have low enough perigee to decay fast enough in case of engine failures.

      Fun fact, the very first spacecraft with a human on board also had ability to be remotely controled. The cosmonaut (Yuri Gagarin) had to enter a numeric code received from Earth to unlock the manual controls. This was done because there were

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by fermion ( 181285 )
      Spacex, as well as NASA, regularly sends unmanned automated vehicles into orbit. The question of what contingencies are in place in case of an incident, but the can probably handled from the ground. For reference, for the first few human in space, the crafts were largely automated. The US humans did some work, but that was because we did not have the automation we have now. For instance in the 1960's self driving cars were largely science fiction.

      The price will be in the millions. The costs to LEO are

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by necro81 ( 917438 )

        The US humans did some work, but that was because we did not have the automation we have now.

        and also because they had a very, very strong identity as being pilots, not just spam in the can.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by MobyDisk ( 75490 )

      Who whoa whoa hooold up a minute... who said anything about surviving the trip at all?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by necro81 ( 917438 )

      Are we talking 15 minutes total or can we go up for a three hour tour with food and drink? I could see the price tag changing and definitely ramping up.

      It is an orbital flight, so 15 minutes doesn't really qualify. And if you had bothered to read the article, you would have seen the figure of five days being floated. Honestly, most of the cost of the flight is in the hardware and in the launch - once you are in orbit, the continuing costs are quite low.

      To use a car analogy: you are buying a RV for a

  • Elon Musk: Everyone needs electric vehicles to save the planet! Also Elon Musk: Anyone wanna burn a fucktonne of fossil fuel to get into space, just for shits and giggles?
    • Well you see this is just the first step to Elan City on Mars so we justify it as real climate science and saving the earth or something and it's really cool like sending my car into Mars orbit too because "science stuff"!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Dunbal ( 464142 ) *
      Not for shits and giggles. For profit. Which will be reinvested in making the technology even more efficient.

    • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

      by CrimsonAvenger ( 580665 )

      Note that the total amount of fossil fuels burned by all the liquid fueled rockets ever made amount to less than a week's worth of normal traffic dirtside.

      And I'm being generous in using a week's worth as the camparator. It's closer to a day's worth....

    • A falcon 9 launch uses about the same amount of fuel as a long distance flight with a B747. Sure, it pollutes, but not nearly as much as most people think.

  • Why would you need controls...

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Dunbal ( 464142 ) *
      To give you a big red button to repeatedly mash as you slowly suffocate. Never take away someone's last hope...

  • unless they're changing their stripes, these trips are just pretty much hitting the altitude of some orbits but they don't achieve any kind of orbital velocity and so fall straight back down.

    • You're confusing this with Branson's projects, which are strictly sub-orbital. SpaceX boosters and the Dragon capsule are very much capable of this orbit, and TFA says the trip would be "up to five days".

      • Your sig: For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?

        Proper English "For all intents and purposes"....

        • Your sig: For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?

          Proper English "For all intents and purposes"....

          "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

          I'm not really one to support poor English, but your sig says you will defend to the death his/her right to use improper English.

  • They did say the Dragon is designed to stay aloft supporting its crew for at least a week, right? Why not. The craft isn't super roomy but maybe it is enough so... except for pooping. I'd want my privacy. And what if it smells bad? "Let me out... omg... open the hatch, damn it!"

    But seriously, careful of the Van Allen radiation belt.

    A Falcon9 costs less than 90 million so I suspect this will cost each of them about $25 million. I will wait for Starship where we can spread the cost around substantially

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by necro81 ( 917438 )

      The craft isn't super roomy but maybe it is enough so... except for pooping. I'd want my privacy. And what if it smells bad? "Let me out... omg... open the hatch, damn it!"

      It probably has more volume per human than the Apollo command module, and a hell of a lot more than a Gemini, both of which were occupied for upwards of two weeks.

  • If SpaceX can guarantee a spectacular detonation at apogee, I have a very long list of politicians and similar useless human beings that we could get moved to the front of the line. . . . .

  • If I were Musk I'd hand out a free ticket to one of the prominent flat earthers so we can end that nonsense. Elon if you read this, do it for science, ffs.

  • What with SpaceX capitalising on its cheap launch capabilities to create Starlink and now branching into space tourism I wonder how long until Musk declares his plans for his own space station?
    Construction funded by tourists (aka rich guinea pigs), sold as a hotel but really built as a staging post for starships to refuel, switch crew, store parts etc and move on to his real goal of moon, mars etc.

  • SpaceX Wants To Launch 4 Tourists Into Super High Orbit

    After that, they are going to launch 5 tourist into super-duper high orbit!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Ksevio ( 865461 )

      This sounds like how my Kerbal runs go - first I launch 4 tourists into orbit, but then when they run out of fuel I have to send a craft that can fit 5 to bring them back, but forget to empty it out before launch so I end up with 9 in orbit...

  • ...hope they take credit cards... [plural]

  • Great idea, we all know how dumb and annoying tourists can be, so lets set an example by launching 4 of the worst ones into space!

    Go Elon!

  • SpaceX imminently have a space-qualified orbital vehicle with Crew Dragon what can get to LEO; in the next year or so with Starship they'll have one that can go round the moon - or potentially to Mars. This is exciting because the focus is changing from NASA being the driving force behind manned spaceflight to SpaceX forging their own destiny. Of course Crew Dragon was designed and built for NASA, but that's just convergence of goals at this point - SpaceX's goals go way further than NASA's and by starting

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