Looks like the space tourism industry is heating up. RSC Energia – the designer and manufacturer of the Russian ISS modules – is creating a new space station for tourists, scientists and evil genius wannabes. Construction could start as soon as 2012.
It’s maybe ironic to hear, during the busiest travel week of the year, that nobody will be heading to space. At least no rich-ass civilians, now that the International Space Station permanent crew has doubled to six astro/cosmonauts. [AP/USNews]
So this Swedish destination, The Ice Hotel, has linked up with Virgin Galactic to begin selling space travel packages for about $US200,000, beginning in 2012. Wilson says that’s cheap. I say that’s relative.
Not content with his first astronautic experience, Ex-Microsofter billionaire Charles Simonyi is now training for a second trip to the International Space Station in Spring 2009. Simonyi will be the first repeat Space Adventures customer since the company began sending private citizens into the final frontier in 2001.
