SPACE TRAVEL

                                  Space travel

Space travel is an application of astronautics that flies crewed or uncrewed spacecraft into or through outer space. Space exploration is the scientific investigation of the universe beyond Earth's atmosphere using crewed and uncrewed spacecraft, satellites, and robotic probes. This endeavor aims to expand human knowledge of the cosmos, discover new scientific advancements, and bring benefits to Earth, such as technological innovations, weather forecasting, and environmental monitoring. 

It is used for scientific exploration and commercial activities such as tourism. While access to space was once limited to national governments, the rise of private aerospace companies has made it increasingly available to civilians.

Civilian space travel

Civilian space travel, or space tourism, is a growing industry allowing private citizens to travel to space for pleasure or interest, with suborbital flights offered by companies like Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, and orbital flights available through providers like SpaceX. Missions such as Inspiration4 and the upcoming Polaris Dawn by SpaceX demonstrate the increasing capability for private orbital missions, though the costs remain significant, ranging from millions of dollars for orbital travel. While it offers life-altering experiences, potential travelers must consider the physical and mental health risks associated with space, including accelerated aging and cellular dysfunction.

Civilians can experience space travel in several ways, with costs varying significantly by company and mission type.

Types of Civilian Space Travel

• Suborbital Tourism:

Short flights into space that allow travelers to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and view Earth from above.

• Orbital Tourism:

Longer trips that put travelers into Earth orbit, offering extended views of the planet.

• Future Missions:

Plans exist for more ambitious private missions, including flights around the Moon, though some previously planned missions have been canceled.   

Types of space tourism

• Suborbital flights: These missions reach the edge of space but not a full orbit, providing a few minutes of weightlessness and views of Earth's curvature. Companies like Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic offer these experiences.

• Duration: Blue Origin's flights last about 11 minutes, while Virgin Galactic's last approximately 90 minutes.

• Cost: Tickets typically range from $150,000 to $450,000.

• Orbital trips: For a multi-day stay in space, orbital missions carry passengers into low-Earth orbit. This includes visits to the International Space Station (ISS).

• Experience: Tourists participate in research and experience prolonged weightlessness while in orbit.

• Cost: Missions to the ISS can cost as much as $55 million per person.

• Space hotels and lunar missions: In the future, companies are planning for even longer and more luxurious space tourism, including private space stations and trips around the Moon.

Private spaceflight companies

Private spaceflight is any spaceflight development that is not conducted by a government agency, such as NASA or ESA.

During the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pioneered space technology in collaboration with affiliated design bureaus in the USSR and private companies in the US. They entirely funded both the development of new spaceflight technologies and the operational costs of spaceflight. Following a similar model of space technology development, the European Space Agency was formed in 1975. Arianespace, born out of ESA's independent spaceflight efforts, became the world's first commercial launch service provider in the early 1980s. Subsequently, large defense contractors began to develop and operate space launch systems, which were derived from government rockets.

In the United States, the FAA has created a new certification called Commercial Astronaut, a new occupation.

In the 2000s, entrepreneurs began designing—and by the 2010s, deploying—space systems competitive to the governmental systems of the early decades of the space age. These new offerings have brought about significant market competition in space launch services after 2010 that had not been present previously, principally through the reduction of the cost of space launch and the availability of more space launch capacity.

Private spaceflight accomplishments to date include flying suborbital spaceplanes (SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo), launching orbital rockets, flying two orbital expandable test modules (Genesis I and II). On the opposite, launching astronauts to the International Space Station and certain satellite launches are performed on behalf of and financed by government agencies.
Planned private spaceflights beyond Earth orbit include personal spaceflights around the Moon. Two private orbital habitat prototypes are already in Earth orbit, with larger versions to follow. Planned private spaceflights beyond Earth orbit include solar sailing prototypes

Several key private companies are developing and offering space travel services:

· Blue Origin: Founded by Jeff Bezos, the company uses its reusable New Shepard rocket for suborbital tourism flights. It is also developing the New Glenn rocket for orbital missions.

· Virgin Galactic: Founded by Richard Branson, this company uses an air-launch system where a carrier plane flies a spaceplane to high altitude before it fires its rocket.

· SpaceX: Created by Elon Musk, SpaceX has facilitated multiple private orbital missions using its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, including fully civilian flights and trips to the ISS.

How to become a career astronaut

Becoming a professional astronaut for a national space agency like NASA requires extensive training and education.

Requirements

• Educational background: A master's degree in a STEM field is a common requirement.

• Professional experience: Candidates need at least three years of related professional experience or 1,000 hours of flight time as a jet pilot.

• Physical fitness: Applicants must pass a rigorous, long-duration flight physical.

• Skills: Astronauts need skills in teamwork, communications, and leadership.

Training

Selected astronaut candidates undergo two years of specialized training, including:

• Spacewalk training in underwater facilities

• Operating the International Space Station

• T-38 jet plane flight training

• Robotic arm operation

Notable astronauts

Throughout history, astronauts from around the world have achieved critical milestones in space exploration.

• Yuri Gagarin (Russia): The first human in space (1961).

• Neil Armstrong (USA): The first person to walk on the Moon (1969).

• Valentina Tereshkova (Russia): The first woman in space (1963).

• Sally Ride (USA): The first American woman in space (1983).

• Kalpana Chawla (India/USA): The first woman of Indian descent in space (1997).

• Peggy Whitson (USA): Holds the NASA record for most cumulative time spent in space.

• Oleg Kononenko (Russia): Holds the world record for most cumulative time spent in space (over 1,100 days).