Ruimte is soos Star Trek stel dit - die 'finale grens'. Kommersiële ruimtetoerisme is volgens almal se standaard steeds 'n klein mark, maar dit het beslis aangebreek - vir diegene wat dit kan bekostig.
Terwyl baie min kan gaan na die ruimte, kan almal met goeie oë sien dit gratis, en doen amateur sterrekunde vanaf enige plek op aarde.
Verstaan
Die buitenste ruimte, of eenvoudig ruimte, simboliseer alles wat onmoontlik van ons afgeleë is, maar tog is dit opvallend naby - die mees algemene definisie is dat die ruimte net 100 km (62 myl) bo die seespieël van die aarde begin, 'n grens wat bekend staan as die Kármán-lyn. Bo die hoogte het u ruimtetegnologie nodig om daar te kom en te oorleef, want selfs lugvaarttegnologie op groot hoogte sal nie voldoende wees nie. Ruimte word gekenmerk deur byna vakuum, met die atmosfeer wat afneem tot 'n paar atome per kubieke meter in die interplanetêre ruimte, en by mikrogravitasie of vryval, wat die sensasie van gewigloosheid.
'N Verdere paradoks van ruimte is dat dit in fyn besonderhede gekarteer en bestuur word, meer as baie plekke in ons eie wêreld. Verlede ontdekkingsreisigers wat na nuwe vastelande of see op pad was, het min idee gehad wat voor hulle lê of waarheen hul reis kan lei, en hulle kan jare lank buite kontak met die huis wees. Diegene wat na die ruimte op pad is, het baie presiese bane, wat tot die tweede sekonde bereken word om van swaartekragte gebruik te maak. Deur die loop van die dag koördineer hulle met missiebeheer en in hul vrye tyd kan hulle klank- en video-oproepe met hul gesinne vinnig doen.
- Hierdie bladsy dek nie die magdom natuurlike liggame wat in die ruimte voorkom, soos planete, mane en sterre nie. Ons het 'n aparte artikel vir die Maan, maar geen ander hemelliggame is bestemmings vir mense nie - nogtans!
Geskiedenis
Die buitenste ruimte is vir millennia lank nie goed verstaan nie. Mense het geglo dat die atmosfeer onbepaald opwaarts uitbrei, en as jy hoog genoeg sou kon opstaan met ballonne of vlieënde voorwerpe, sou jy uiteindelik die maan en die sterre bereik. Sterrekundiges kon die sterre net met hul blote oë waarneem, en sonder om die Newtonse fisika te verstaan, is daar van die son en ander sterre aanvaar dat dit om die aarde sou draai.
Ongeveer die 1600's het die vooruitgang in wiskunde, fisika en tegnologie ons begrip begin hervorm. Teleskope het getoon wat buite ons eie wêreld lê toe ons die mane van Jupiter en fases van Venus kon waarneem. Deur die teorie van swaartekrag en die Newtonse fisika het ons ontdek dat die ruimte 'n vakuum is, en waarom sterre, planete en mane mekaar wentel soos hulle dit doen. Baie meer vooruitgang in die 1800's het meer belangstelling gewek, met fotografie wat besonderhede oor ons Maan en die identifisering van ander sterrestelsels openbaar. Futuristiese werke van vroeë wetenskapfiksie soos Jules Verne s'n Van die aarde tot die maan (1865) het die publiek se aptyt vir ruimtereise aangewakker.
Vanweë die gebrek aan atmosfeer kan u nie vliegtuie of lugballonne na die ruimte vlieg nie. Tot op hede was slegs een metode om ruimte te bereik met ons bestaande tegnologie moontlik: vuurpyle. Die Chinese het kruit uitgevind iewers in die 9de eeu nC, indien nie vroeër nie, en het dit in die 13de en 14de eeu vir aandrywing in vuurpyle gebruik, en selfs ballistiese vuurpyle in meer stadiums geskep. Gou is vuurpyle regoor die wêreld gebruik, hoewel dit vir 'n groot deel van die tyd redelik ongekunsteld gebly het, nie veel meer as gemilitariseerde vuurwerke nie. Geïnspireer deur die idee om die ruimte te verken, het die Russiese onderwyser, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, in die 20ste eeu belangrike referate gepubliseer om die haalbaarheid van moderne soorte vuurpyle (met vloeibare brandstof) te bereken en die vereistes om 'n baan te bereik, en die Amerikaanse wetenskaplike Robert Goddard eksperimenteer met vuurpylontwerpe wat verbeter hul doeltreffendheid, reikafstand en loonvrag aansienlik.
Terwyl vuurpyle in die vroeë 20ste eeu op die sterre gerig was, het vuurpyle nog nie hul militêre oorsprong vrygespring nie. Teen 1944 het Duitsland die V-2, die eerste ballistiese missiel, gebou om teikens te reën teen snelhede wat dit onaantasbaar gemaak het vir lugafweerkanonne en vegters. Die V-2 het tot 80 km gestyg voordat dit op sy teiken afgesak het, en sommige reguit toetsvuurtjies was die eerste wat die Kármán-lyn verbysteek en 174 km bereik het. Aan die einde van die oorlog het die oorwinnaars woes probeer om Duitse toerusting, planne en bowenal die vuurpylwetenskaplikes en ingenieurs vas te lê. Die ontwikkeling van langafstand-ICBM's (interkontinentale ballistiese missiele) het die Koue Oorlog tussen die VSA en die USSR tot stand gebring, maar die toenemende tegnologie het ook gelei tot die Ruimtewedloop aangesien albei lande vir verskillende 'eerstes' in die ruimtevaart meegeding het.
Die truuk met ruimtevaart is dat dit nie gaan om te gaan nie hoog... dit gaan daaroor vinnig. In lae Aarde-baan beteken dit snelhede rondom 7,8 km / s (28,000 km / h of 17,000 mph), wat genoeg is om die hele aarde binne ongeveer 90 minute te omring. Onder leiding van ingenieur Sergei Korolev het die Sowjetunie dit in 1957 gekry toe Spoetnik 1 het 21 dae suksesvol om die aarde gewentel. Verskeie ander Sowjet-eerstes sou volg, insluitend Yuri Gagarin, die eerste mens in die ruimte. Terwyl hy aanvanklik agtergebly het, het die Amerikaanse program, met sy span vuurpylwetenskaplikes onder leiding van Wernher von Braun (ontwerper van die Duitse V-2), gedurende die sestigerjare ingehaal en was dit 'n paar jaar lank nek-aan-nek met die Sowjet-program. In 1967 het die ontwrigtende tempo van ontwikkeling gelei tot noodlottige rampe vir albei programme: 'n brand tydens 'n toets van die Amerikaanse Apollo 1 wat al drie ruimtevaarders doodgemaak het, en die ongeluk van die Sowjet-Sojoes 1 wat sy kosmonaut doodgemaak het. Dit het meer as 18 maande geduur voordat die twee programme herstel het.
Die VSA het herstel en selfs sy pas gehaal en geland Apollo 11 op die maan op 20 Julie 1969. Neil Armstrong en Buzz Aldrin het hul lander verlaat en op die maan geloop, 'n skouspel wat deur 723 miljoen mense (meer as een vyfde van die aarde se bevolking) regstreeks gekyk is. Nog ses missies het gevolg tot Desember 1972. Intussen het die Sowjet-program stilweg probleme ondervind om sy maanraket te ontwikkel; nadat die wedloop na die Maan verloor het, het die USSR op die orbitaal gekonsentreer ruimtestasies, wat die eerste van verskeie Salyut-stasies in 1971 bekendgestel het Mir in 1986. Die ruimte het baie naby gelyk; op 'n stadium is daar kaartjies na die maan en nog nie-bestaande ruimtestasies verkoop. Belangstelling in Space Race-eenmansaak het verdwyn namate die politieke klimaat ontwikkel het, en 'n nuwe gevoel van werklikheid begin. Die wilde drome van die 1960's en 70's sterf toe die publiek besef dat die goedkoop en maklike ruimtetoerisme wat hulle belowe is, nie ' t komende.
Satelliete het redelik toeganklik geword (relatief gesproke), en 14 lande en 6 private ondernemings het altesaam ongeveer 9 000 openbare en private satelliete gelanseer vir weerwaarneming, telekommunikasie, navigasie, sterrekunde, wetenskaplike navorsing en verkenning. Bemanning missieshet egter die domein van 'n klein aantal organisasies gebly en word sedert 1972 slegs in 'n lae baan om die aarde gehou; reis verder as die aarde se baan het (vir eers) die uitsluitlike domein van die mensdom geword robot ontdekkingsreisigers.
Sjina het die derde land geword wat 'n persoon in 'n baan geplaas het met die lansering van Shenzhou 5 in Oktober 2003, wat die bespiegeling aangespoor het dat hulle vinnig sou kon vorder en die tweede nasie sou word om mense op die Maan te laat land. Die ontwikkeling het egter verloop in 'n tempo soortgelyk aan ander programme, met slegs ses missies met bemanning wat binne byna 20 jaar van stapel gestuur is. In die nabye toekoms werk hulle aan 'n ruimtestasie wat teen 2022 beman kan word, en robotmissies na Mars en asteroïdes in 2020-2024.
Op 'n manier is die nuwe Space Race die een wat die koste verlaag, en dit was lank en moeilik. Vuurpyle en ruimtetuie is duur om te ontwerp en duur om te bou. Herbruikbare lanseerstelsels Dit was 'n logiese volgende stap, maar tot dusver het dit duurder gebly as die besteding. Die Amerikaanse Ruimtependeltuig het ondanks dertig jaar iets van 'n wit olifant geword, want die groot ontwerp wat die Lugmag aangevra het, het nooit tot enige lugmagkontrakte gelei nie, en die omlegging van die baan tussen lanserings was baie duurder en tydrowender as verwag. (Daarenteen bedryf Rusland al meer as 60 jaar afgeleide instrumente van dieselfde verbruikbare vuurpyl.)
Hoewel vuurpyle en ruimtevoertuie nog altyd deur private kontrakteurs gebou is, is die ontwikkeling van private ruimtemaatskappye vir lanseringstelsels was stadig, en vir missies met bemanning selfs stadiger. In 2004 het Scaled Composites die Ansari X-prys van $ 10 miljoen gewen deur die herbruikbare bemanning SpaceShipOne binne twee weke twee keer op suborbitale vlugte te loods, maar vanaf 2020 is nóg sy nóg sy opvolger SpaceShipTwo vir enige kommersiële vlugte gebruik. SpaceX het sedert die 2000's enorme vordering gemaak deur vertikaal te integreer en byna al die tegnologie in die huis te bou. In Desember 2015 bereik hul herbruikbare Falcon 9-vuurpyl 'n mylpaal deur outonoom na sy landingsterrein terug te keer en regop te land ('n prestasie wat hulle al tientalle kere herhaal het, op die grond en op drywende ake geland het), en in Mei 2020 het SpaceX die eerste private onderneming wat mense begin wentel.
Aangesien die grondbeginsels van ruimtereise al meer as 'n halwe eeu beoefen word, bied kort missies nie meer soveel beloning nie, en langdurige gesamentlike projekte soos die Internasionale ruimtestasie (ISS) het die norm geword vir die verkenning van bemanning. Dit stel wetenskaplikes in staat om eksperimente wat maande of jare duur, uit te voer en die gevolge van langtermynbewoning in die ruimte te bestudeer. Desondanks is daar sedert die klimaks van die Ruimtewedrenne die belangrikste van die begroting, en die finansiering is oral gekortwiek. Desperaat vir fondse het die Russiese Ruimteagentskap begin om sitplekke op Sojoez-lanserings te verkoop. Die sakeman Dennis Tito het die eerste betaal-tot-vlieg geword ruimtetoeris in April 2001 betaal US $ 20 miljoen vir 'n reis van sewe dae na die ISS. Sedertdien het 'n handjievol in sy voetspore gevolg, sommige selfs op meer as een vlug.
Rolle
Die meeste mense wat tot dusver die ruimte besoek het, was ruimtevaarders of kosmonaute - professionele persone wat betaal word om op te lei en ruimtevlugte uit te voer. Die onderskeid tussen die name is grotendeels 'n respek; 'kosmonaut' is gereserveer vir lede van die Russiese ruimteagentskap en 'ruimtevaarder' word gebruik deur NASA, ESA, CSA, JAXA en in wese alle ander.
Die oorblywende paar word gewoonlik na verwys ruimtetoeriste. Aangesien dit 'n beeld van iemand in 'n polyesterhemp met 'n kamera om hul nek roep, verkies NASA en RKA die term deelnemer aan die ruimtevaart. Dit is nogal akkurater, aangesien alle deelnemers tot dusver baie van hul tyd in die ruimte deurgebring het om wetenskaplike eksperimente uit te voer. Daar kan 'n noukeuriger onderskeid getref word tussen deelnemers wat deur die regering gefinansier word van ander lande wat nie 'n permanente ruimtevaarderprogram het nie (soos Brasilië, Maleisië en die Verenigde Arabiese Emirate) en toeriste wat self gefinansier is in die ruimte.
Huidige missies
Vanaf 2020 is daar net twee programme wat mense in 'n baan stuur.
- Gestig in 1998, die Internasionale ruimtestasie (ISS) is sedert 2000 deurlopend beman. Vanaf 2020 word vervoer na die ISS voorsien deur Russiese Sojoez-missies en SpaceX Crew Dragon-missies.
- Die Chinese Shenzhou Die program het 6 missies van bemanning sedert 2003 uitgevoer, met die volgende een wat in 2021 verwag word om die nuwe Chinese ruimtestasie wat saamgestel word, te bevolk.
Praat
Net soos poolbasisse en ander multinasionale ondernemings, gebruik die ruimtevaart die tale van die ambagsmanne, wat baie swaar gepeper is met baie tegniese jargon. Engels is die werktaal van die ruimte, wat gebruik word vir baie ruimteoperasies en internasionale koördinasie op die grond. Russies is die sekondêre taal; sommige tekens en etikette op die ISS is tweetalig, en Soyuz-missies gebruik uitsluitlik Russies totdat hulle die ISS bereik.
In die ISS is Engels meestal die werkstaal, maar ruimtevaarders en kosmonautbemanning moet Engels en Russies redelik magtig wees (praat dikwels met mekaar in 'n Engels-Russiese baster, en praat gewoonlik die moedertaal van wie hulle ook al praat. en die vervanging van woorde wat hulle nie in die vreemde taal ken nie). Ruimtetoeriste op die ISS moet ten minste 'genoeg Engels ken om oor die weg te kom', en aangesien alle toeriste tot dusver op Soyuz-missies gevlieg het, het hulle basiese vaardighede in Russies nodig (250 uur taalopleiding gedurende 6 maande van studie, of ongeveer 2 uur per dag).
Gaan in
| “ | Gegewe skepe of seile wat aangepas is vir die wind van die hemel, sal daar diegene wees wat selfs van daardie uitgestrekte uitspansel nie sal krimp nie. | ” |
—Johannes Kepler, AD 1610 | ||
Of hy het miskien 'uitgawe' gesê. Kepler, Galileo en Jules Verne het nie $ 40 miljoen in hul sak gerammel om 'n reis na die ruimte te finansier nie, maar hulle het almal bygedra tot die moontlikheid om daarheen te reis. Jy kan dit ook doen.
- Op die aarde daar is baie museums, bekendstellingsfasiliteite en ander sentrums wat die geskiedenis en wetenskap van ruimtereise demonstreer. Dit is goeie voorbereiding as u ernstig hoop om in die ruimte te kom, en dit is 'n prettige dagjie uit, selfs as u nooit gaan nie. Diegene wat hieronder in 'Kyk' beskryf word, is van die beste en sien hul gasheerstadbladsye vir reispraktika.
- Sterrekunde is 'n manier om ruimte te verken wat u in u agterplaas kan doen as dit relatief vry is van omgewingslig. Sterrekunde self het nou die ruimte in gereis, met die Hubble-ruimteteleskoop en ander beeldstelsels, en selfs aardgebaseerde sterrekunde is dikwels 'n hoëtegnologie-wetenskap. Tog hou amateursterrekundiges met eenvoudige toerusting - selfs met die blote oog - ontdekkings aan. Die ISS is maklik (hoewel kort) van die grond af sigbaar; sien NASA se ISS-rooster vir besigtiging op u plek. Dit is 'n helder goue voorwerp, verlig deur die son wat op sy panele weerkaats, en beweeg vinnig terug - wes na oos. Na 'n paar minute verdwyn dit robyn en verdwyn as dit deur sononder in die nag wentel.
- Kubertoerisme bied 'n indrukwekkende kyk, en die kwaliteit verbeter vinnig: realistiese 3D-beelding, interaktiewe verkenning van 'n landskap en interaksie met reisigers is alles binne die huidige tegnologie. Dit kan die dominante manier van toerisme word vir brose en vyandige omgewings en lyk goed geskik vir die ruimte. 'N Verwante modus is deur ROV - 'n afstandbeheerde of semi-outonome voertuig wat die terrein verken. Dit is baie duur toerusting, maar die beelde kan wel in die kuberweergawe gebruik word.
- Mikrogravitasie kan kortliks teëgekom word sonder om die aarde se atmosfeer te verlaat. Sien "Doen" vir opsies.
- Werk is hoe die meeste mense wat na die ruimte gegaan het tot dusver daar aangekom het. Om gekies te word vir 'n ruimtevaarder / kosmonaut-program is 'n baie lang skoot, maar aangesien alles rakende ruimtereise 'n ballistiese langskoot behels, is dit die beste hoop vir voornemende reisigers wat nie superryk is nie.
- Toeriste-ruimtevlug moontlik is, as u dit kan bekostig en regtig dink dat dit die beste gebruik van al die geld is. Dit word beskryf onder "Doen", aangesien die ervaring van ruimte en reis daarheen baie dieselfde is.
Kry rond
Die meeste ruimtereisigers bly binne hul ruimtetuig en gebruik die aandrywingstelsels om rond te kom. Aangesien baanwerktuigkunde uiters onintuïtief is en brandstof vir manoeuvreer nogal beperk is, moet hierdie take die beste aan 'n gekwalifiseerde vlieënier oorgelaat word.
Binne u tuig kan u baie maklik met u hande en voete rondbeweeg. Handwerk is ruim ontwerp handvatsels en vastrapplekke om jouself rond te beweeg, sowel as om jouself vas te anker terwyl jy werk. Dit is onwaarskynlik dat u buite bereik van een sal vassit, aangesien momentum, lugstrome en ander klein bewegings van u tuig dit moeilik maak om perfek stil te bly. As u dit wel doen, kan u 'n hele ruk (baie minute, moontlik selfs ure) vassit. Wanneer u na 'n oppervlak streef, sal die res van u liggaam net soveel wegbeweeg, sodat u niks kan bereik nie. Om deur die lug te swem, werk ook nie, want in teenstelling met water bied lug baie min massa om teen te druk. Jou beste keuse, behalwe om hulp te vra, is om iets redelik swaar te gooi, soos jou klere, wat jou stadig in die teenoorgestelde rigting sal dryf.
Soms moet ruimtereisigers doen buite-voertuig aktiwiteit, of EVA, waar hulle hul ambag verlaat om toegang tot wetenskaplike eksperimente te kry of herstelwerk uit te voer. Hiervoor benodig u 'n baie robuuste ruimtepak, wat asemhalingslug bied en u beskerm teen die lugruim, skadelike bestraling en ekstreme temperatuur (van byna absolute nul in die skaduwee tot absoluut braai in die woeste sonlig).
Terwyl u na hartelus in u handwerk kan rondsoem, buite daarvan kan u maklik u eie satelliet word sonder u eie aandrywing, moontlik tot 'n kort lewensduur gedoem totdat u lugtoediening binne 'n paar uur op is. Manoeuvreer-eenhede met klein stuwers is al 'n paar keer gebruik (onlangs in 1990), maar die veiligheidsrisiko word te groot beskou, en die geringe voordele is beslis nie die moeite werd nie. Vandag word 'n noodgebruik op alle EVA's gedra, maar dit is nog nooit buite toetse gebruik nie. EVA's word altyd gedoen vasgemaak, en dikwels nie net vasgemaak nie, maar stewig vas aan die Canadarm2-gryparm sodat u bemanningslede u kan rondskuif.
Om dinge in 'n gewiglose omgewing te skuif, is nie intuïtief nie, en om dit reg te doen verg oefening en opleiding. Sekerlik, u kan 'n massiewe voorwerp net so maklik soos 'n klein voorwerp druk of trek, maar wat regtig gebeur, is dat u en die voorwerp na mekaar of weg beweeg. As u byvoorbeeld 'n skroewedraaier probeer gebruik, sal die skroef regtig gebeur en die ruimtetuig waaraan dit geheg is sal 'n klein bietjie roteer, terwyl jou relatief klein liggaam die res van die pad in die teenoorgestelde rigting draai - glad nie wat jy probeer bereik het nie!
Wat u moet doen, is om u aan die ruimtetuig te veranker sodat u die skroewedraaier en die skroef kan draai sonder om die vaartuig te draai. Op aarde hou swaartekrag jou met die krag van jou hele liggaamsgewig op die grond, maar in die ruimte moet jy spierkrag gebruik om daardie krag te voorsien. (Stel jou voor dat jy 'n blok hout in jou hand hou, en probeer om 'n skroef daarin te steek. Dit is baie moeiliker as om 'n skroef in 'n muur te probeer steek.) Ruimtevaarders oefen in neutrale dryfpoele, groot poele waar voorwerpe onder water gebalanseer is om nie te dryf of te sink nie. Baie take in die ruimte, veral tydens EVA's, word baie stadig en metodies uitgevoer.
Sien
Op aarde: museums ens
Ruimtevaart het so 'n lang geskiedenis dat die meeste belangrike sentrums op aarde 'n rol daarin gespeel het, wat nou in hul plaaslike museum vertoon word. Slegs 'n seleksie van die beste besienswaardighede word hieronder gelys.
- 1 [dooie skakel]Beijing-planetarium (北京 天文馆; Běijīngtiānwénguǎn), 138 Xizhimenwai St (西直门 外 大街 138 号; Xīzhíménwàidàjiē), Beijing, Sjina (by afrit D van die Beijing Zoo-stasie van die metro), ☏ 86 10 6835 2453. Geslote Ma-Di, 09:30 tot 15:30 W-F, 09:30 tot 16:30 Sa-So. Dit is die eerste grootskaalse planetarium in China, met twee geboue, een oud en een nuut. Die ou gebou het 'n Foucault-slinger, 'n toestel wat gebruik word om die rotasie van die aarde te wys, en 'n uitstalling met baie feite oor die ruimte. Die nuwe gebou het meer goed as die ou, en het modelle van al die planete. Daar is ook uitstallings oor die son en die oerknal in die nuwe gebou. Vier teaters (twee 3D-teaters en twee koepelvormige teaters) speel meer as tien films. Volwassenes (18 tot 59 jaar): ¥ 10, kinders tussen 6 en 18: ¥ 8, kinders jonger as 6 of bejaardes ouer as 60: gratis, u moet meer betaal vir die flieks..
- 2 Kanadese lugvaart- en ruimtemuseum, 11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, Ontario, Kanada (geleë aan die punt van Aviation Pkwy, begin Aviation Pkwy vanaf Ontario Highway 417, aka Queensway), ☏ 1 613-991-3044, faks: 1 613-993-7923, ✉[email protected]. 09:00 tot 17:00 daagliks. Moenie verwar word met die Canada Air and Space Museum, wat 'n heel ander museum is nie. Die Canada Aviation and Space Museum het vyf uitstallings, waarvan drie oor ruimte en nie lugvaart gaan nie. Life in Orbit: The International Space Station handel oor die lewe in die ISS en hoe die ruimtevaarders 'n mikro-swaartekragomgewing hanteer. Daar is 'n model van die ISS waarop jy kan klim! Kanada in die ruimte is 'n oorsig van Kanada se mees opvallende ruimteprestasies, insluitend 'n volskaalse model van die satelliet Alouette-1 en die Disorientation Station, waarin u kan klim en draai en duiselig kan word. En uiteindelik, Gesondheid in die ruimte: waag om te verken handel oor die effek van die buitenste ruimte op mense, soos mikrogravitasie en kosmiese bestraling. Volwassenes (18 tot 59 jaar oud): $ 15, bejaardes (60 of ouer): $ 13, kinders van 3 tot 17: $ 10, kinders onder 3: gratis.
- 3 Johnson Ruimtesentrum, 1601 NASA Parkway, Houston, Texas, VSA (verlaat Saturn Lane in NASA Parkway), ☏ 1 281 483-0123, ✉[email protected]. Die meeste dae van 10:00 tot 17:00, sommige dae van 10:00 tot 18:00 of van 09:00 tot 18:00, daar is meer inligting op die webwerf. Missiebeheer vir aktiwiteite in die ruimtevaart en internasionale ruimtestasies, met 'n aangrensende museum. In die museum is daar die Starship Gallery, wat die Apollo 17-opdragmodule en 'n aanraakbare maanrots insluit. Die International Space Station Gallery het interaktiewe live shows en regte ISS-artefakte, en die Mission Mars gallery is 'n interaktiewe uitstalling oor Mars. Buite het Independence Plaza 'n model van 'n ruimtetuig waarin u kan gaan. Daar is 'n vuurpylpark naby en beskikbaar vir persoonlike toere. Volwassenes (12 en ouer): $ 29,95, kinders van 4 tot 11: $ 24,95, kinders van 3 en jonger: gratis, bejaardes: $ 27,95.
- 4 Mars Desert Research Station, 2200 Cow Mung Road, Hanksville, Utah, VSA (langs Utah State Route 24 net buite Hanksville), ☏ 1 303 984-9346, ✉[email protected]. Ervaar hoe dit sou wees om op Mars te woon. Die kampus bevat 6 geboue: die twee verdieping-ronde habitat met 'n deursnee van 8,5 m, twee sterrewagte, die GreenHab ('n gewasboerdery-laboratorium), die Science Dome ('n laboratorium en kontrolesentrum vir die hele stasie) en die RAMM (Herstel- en Onderhoudsmodule). $ 750 per week.
- 5 Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics (Музей космонавтики, alias Memorial Museum of Astronautics of Memorial Museum of Space Exploration), 111 Prospekt Mira, 129223 Moskou, Rusland (reg langs die VDNKh-metrostasie), ☏ 7 495 683-79-14, ✉[email protected]. M gesluit, Di, W, F, Sa 10: 00-19: 00, Do, So 10: 00-21: 00. M, Di gesluit, Do 11: 00-21: 00, alle ander dae 11: 00-19: 00 vir die Sergey Korolev Memorial House. 'N Groot ruimtemuseum met meer as 98.000 artikels oor die Sowjet- en Russiese verkenning van die ruimte, geleë aan die voet van die Monument van die Veroweraars van die ruimte. Daar is 'n Soyuz-vuurpyl en 'n duplikaat van die heel eerste kunsmatige satelliet binne. Toere is beskikbaar vir bespreking en kan in Engels wees. Nie ver van die museum nie, is die Sergey Korolev Memorial House, dit is die huis waar Sergey Korolev, die ontwerper van die eerste kunsmatige satelliet, eens gewoon het. Hierdie huis is ook 'n museum met meer as 13.000 artikels oor Sergey Korolev se lewe. 250 руб vir individuele besoekers vir beide die museum en die gedenkhuis, 750 руб vir gesinne met 2 volwassenes en 2 kinders van 7 tot 17 jaar, 2250 руб vir toere met groepe van minder as 15 mense.
- 6 Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Lug- en ruimtemuseum), Parys, Frankryk (Neem lyn 7 van die metro na La Courneuve en neem dan buslyn 152 na Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, dit is langs die lughawe Le Bourget), ☏ 33 1-49-92-70-00. Okt-Mrt: Di-So 10: 00-17: 00; Apr-Sep: Di-So 10: 00-18: 00. Een van die vroegste lug- en ruimtemuseums ter wêreld, ouer as 100 jaar. Daar is 12 sale (uitstallings) in die museum, waarvan een oor ruimte gaan: La conquête spatiale. Daar is baie modelle van vuurpyle en satelliete. Van die vier aktiwiteite is die planetarium en Planète Pilote is ruimteverwant. Die planetarium het 'n groot koepelvormige skerm met 7039 sterre en 20 voorwerpe in die ruimte. Planète Pilote is opgedra aan 6 tot 12-jariges, maar ouers en onderwysers mag inskryf. Dit het 'n lugvaartdeel en 'n ruimtedeel, en meer as 40 interaktiewe aktiwiteite. Permanente uitstallings: gratis; aktiwiteite vir volwassenes / jonger as 26: € 9/7 vir 1 aktiwiteit, € 14/11 vir 2, € 17/13 vir 3, € 21/17 vir 4. Die Parys Museumpas kan hier gebruik word..
- 7 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 600 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC, VSA (in die Nasionale winkelsentrum naby Interstate 395, naby die stop L'Enfant Plaza Metrorail), ☏ 1 202 633-2214. Daagliks 10: 00-17: 30. Hierdie museum het uitstallings oor lugvaart, en drie oor ruimteverkenning. Ruimtewedloop handel oor die Space Race en bevat 'n model van die Hubble-ruimteteleskoop. Buite die aarde beweeg handel oor moderne ruimteverkenning. Dit bevat aanbiedingsfases en reuse-tekeninge van die aarde en die ISS aan die muur. Laastens, Verkenning van die heelal handel oor die verkenning van die sonnestelsel, en dit bevat modelle van die Voyager ruimtesondes en die Nuuskierigheid Marsrover. Toegang gratis, parkering $ 15.
- 8 Amerikaanse ruimte- en vuurpylsentrum, 1 rustigheid basis, Huntsville, Alabama, VSA (by afrit 15 van Interstate 565), ☏ 1-800-637-7223. Daagliks 09: 00-17: 00. Dit bevat 'n Saturn V-vuurpyl wat nooit van stapel gestuur is nie, en bevat ook uitstallings oor die "Space Race", die programme wat gelei het tot die maanbesoeke en die ISS. Daar is 'n planetarium en 'n National Geographic teater, met 6 verskillende vertonings beskikbaar. Buite die museum is replikas en toetseenhede vir talle ander ruimtetuie, insluitend lewensgrootte replika's van die Space Shuttle en 'n vertikale Saturn V. Daar is ook ruimtesimulators buite om te ervaar hoe dit sou wees as u in die ruimte was. Die Spark! Lab bevat baie ontwerp-uitdagings om aan te werk. Volwassenes (13 en ouer): $ 25, kinders van 5 tot 12: $ 17, kinders van 4 en jonger: gratis.
Op aarde: lanseerterreine en laboratoriums
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- 9 Baikonur Cosmodrome (Космодром Байконур), Baikonoer, Kazakstan (gaan noord deur Korolevlaan en draai regs aan die einde van die pad), ☏ 7(495)745 72 61, faks: 7(495)232 34 85, ✉[email protected]. Die raketlanseerwerf van Spoetnik 1 en Yuri Gagarin in Kazakstan, en tot vandag toe die belangrikste Sojoes bekendstelling webwerf. Lank streng buite perke, maar nou oop vir beperkte toerisme. Verskeie toerondernemings hou toere hierheen, insluitend Star City-toere en Baikonur Cosmodrome-toere. Die Baikonur Cosmodrome plus die hele stad Baikonur is verbode, tensy u 'n spesiale permit kry, wat gewoonlik deur u toermaatskappy gedoen word. Star City-toere: ~ 1.687.000 tenge (€ 3500) vir gewone toer, ~ 2.050.000 tenge (€ 4800) vir VIP-toer; Baikonur Cosmodrome-toere: ~ 1.153.000 tenge (€ 2700) vir gewone toer, ~ 2.050.000 tenge (€ 4800) vir VIP-toer.
- 10 Jet voortstuwing laboratorium (JPL), 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, Kalifornië, VSA (Gaan noord deur Oak Grove Drive en draai regs aan die einde van die pad), ☏ 1 818 354-9314, ✉[email protected]. Die ontwerpers van die Nuuskierigheid Mars rover en die Voyager ruimtesondes, gee dit maandeliks openbare lesings. Toere moet minstens 3 weke voor die tyd bespreek word en dit duur 2-2,5 uur. Paspoort / identifikasie is nodig om die laboratorium te betree. Vry.
- 11 Besoekerskompleks Kennedy Space Center, Kaap Canaveral, Florida, VSA (gaan oos deur Florida State Road 528 en draai links by Florida State Road 3), ☏ 1 855 433-4210, tolvry: 1 866 737-5235. Daagliks 09: 00-18: 00 of 09: 00-19: 00; selde 09:00 tot 20:00; soms gesluit vir bekendstellingsdae. Hierdie besige toeriste-aantreklikheid bied museums, flieks, 'n vuurpyltuin en busreise na voormalige voorbereidings- en bekendstellingsfasiliteite vir pendels. Dit is 'n amptelike federale webwerf - die besoekerskompleks word egter deur winsgewende kontrakteurs bestuur, en pryse is dus vergelykbaar met privaat toeriste-aantreklikhede, nie 'n tipiese nasionale park nie. Basiese toegang ('n eendaagse pas) sluit 'n uitstekende bustoer in (insluitend die gratis bustoer deur Launch Complex 39 en die Apollo / Saturn V-sentrum), die museums (insluitend die uitstalling met die Space Shuttle) Atlantis), en die IMAX-films. Bykomende spesiale toere of programme moet vooraf bespreek word, aangesien dit vinnig uitverkoop is. Cape Canaveral sluit ook die Lugmagruimte en missielmuseum. Eendaagse pas: volwassenes (12) $ 57, kinders (3-11) $ 47. Afslag en ander passe beskikbaar. Parkering $ 10.
- 12 Ruimtesentrum in Guyana (Sentrum Ruimtelike Guyana's), Kourou, Frans-Guyana, ☏ 594 37 77 77 (museum en toere), 594 33 44 53 (vuurpyl lanseer), faks: 594 33 30 66 (museum en toere), 594 33 31 22 (vuurpyl lanseer), ✉[email protected] (museum en toere), [email protected] (vuurpyl lanseer). Museum: M-Sa 08: 00-18: 00. Die Europese ruimteagentskap se bekendstellingswerf in Frans-Guyana, met 'n ruimtemuseum daar naby. Die ruimtemuseum het 2 verdiepings, met 7 permanente uitstallings en 'n planetarium. Die bekendstellingswerf bied twee keer per dag toere aan, een van 08:00 tot 11:30 en een van 13:00 tot 16:30; dit moet 48 uur vooraf bespreek word. Kinders onder 8 kan nie op die toer gaan nie. U kan raketlanserings vanaf 'n afstand van 7 km, 15 km of 20 km sien. Kinders onder 8 kan nie vuurpyle lanceer nie, en kinders tussen 8 en 16 mag soms nie vuurpyle lanseer nie. Museum: volwassenes (11) 7 € (4 € op Saterdae), kinders (3 - 10) 4 € (2,5 € op Saterdae), kinders onder 3 gratis.
- 13 Mojave Ruimtehawe, 1434 Vluglyn, gebou 58, Mojave, Kalifornië, VSA (draai links na Airport Blvd. by die Mojave-Barstow-snelweg), ☏ 1 661 824-2433, ✉[email protected]. Plane Crazy Saturday is op die derde Saterdag van elke maand. Die eerste FAA-gesertifiseerde ruimtehawe en die tuiste van die private ruimtevaartprogram van Scaled Composites. Daar word nie toere aangebied nie, maar daar is Plane Crazy Saterdae wat oop is vir die publiek en u in staat stel om te sien hoe die ruimtetuig lyk.
- 14 Columbus-beheersentrum, Weßling (buite München), Duitsland. Word gebruik vir die beheer van die Columbus navorsingslaboratorium van die Internasionale Ruimtestasie, asook 'n grondbeheersentrum vir die Galileo-satellietnavigasiestelsel. Oop vir die publiek, afhangende van die missiestatus.
- 15 Star City (Звёздный городок), Moskou-oblast, Rusland (In die Zvyozdny Gorodok Urban Okrug van die Moskou-oblast word dit omring deur 'n bos). 'N Kosmonaut-opleidingsfasiliteit noordoos van Moskou. Die stad se ligging is tot in die negentigerjare geheim gehou, al het die media gereeld daaroor gepraat. Daar is 'n standbeeld van Yuri Gagarin in die stad. Ongeveer 70% van sy 6000 inwoners het werk met betrekking tot ruimte. Die stad bestaan uit twee dele: die woongebied en die Yuri Gagarin-opleidingsentrum. Die wêreld se eerste en grootste sentrifuge is hier, wat tot 20 keer die swaartekrag van die aarde kan lewer. Daar is ook 'n lughawe vir paraboliese "kots-komeet" -vlugte. Die Hydro Lab gebruik gevorderde tegnologie om 'n gewiglose omgewing met 'n groot tenk water te simuleer. Ten slotte is daar baie simulators wat gebruik word om verskillende vaardighede op te lei.
- 16 Tanegashima Ruimtesentrum (種子 島 宇宙 セ ン タ ー), Tanegashima, Japan (In die suide van Tanegashima sien u 'n bord na die sentrum as u op die Tanegashima-hoofweg ry), ☏ 81 997-26-2111 (bekendstellingswerf), 81 997-26-9244 (ruimtemuseum), faks: 81 997-26-9245 (ruimtemuseum). 09: 00-17: 30 Jul-Aug, 9: 00-17: 00 op ander dae; gesluit op bekendstellingsdae, 29 Desember tot 1 Januarie, en Mo-Tu na 'n lang naweek (ruimtemuseum). Japan se hoofbekendstellingswebwerf. Die Ruimtemuseum het gratis uitstallings, en toere na die bekendstellingswerf is ook gratis. Daar is oorvol openbare uitkykpunte vir lanseringsdae, maar u kan raketlanserings vanaf enige plek buite 3 km vanaf die lanseerplek sien. Daar is 'n model van Kibō, 'n Japannese wetenskapsmodule vir die ISS, waarin u kan ingaan, en die Rocket Launch Theatre in die Ruimtemuseum. Gratis (ruimtemuseum).
- 17 Vostochny Cosmodrome (Космодром Восточный, "Oostelike Ruimtehawe"), naby Zilokovskiy, Amur-oblast, Rusland. Die Vostochny Cosmodrome is sedert 2016 in gebruik geneem om die Russiese afhanklikheid van die Baikonur-terrein in Kazakhastan, aangesien die Baikonoer Cosmodrome in 'n ander land was nadat die Sowjet-Unie ontbind is. 15 km van die Trans-Siberiese spoorweg, launches are certainly within viewing distance to train passengers, provided the train passes in the right moment. It has not opened to tourists yet.
In Space
- Black sky: by 25 km (16 mi) altitude (well short of reaching space), all blue has drained from the sky, you're far above the weather systems, and you can see the curvature of Earth's surface. The stars become fixed points of light instead of twinkling: you'll see a rich field of them as you orbit the night side of Earth, but on the day side the glare of "earthshine" blanks out almost everything else. In Low Earth Orbit, sunrise and sunset flash by every 45 min; there's a brief red glow, but not the prolonged colors you see from the surface.
- The Earth is a remarkable sight, with its whorls of weather systems, blue oceans, "phases" as you pass from day to its night side, and glowing nighttime cities. If you orbit the moon, as you pass around its far side you lose radio contact as well as sight of Earth, and suddenly feel very much alone in the universe. Then you come around the corner and with relief see earthrise. You don't see this from the lunar surface without moving, as the Earth holds a nearly fixed position in the lunar sky.
- Die Northern and Southern Lights form at the edge of space, at an altitude of a few hundred kilometers, so from orbit they're seen far below you flickering across the Earth's night surface.
Doen
| “ | Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in a cradle forever. | ” |
—Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, 1911 | ||
On Earth
- Space camp. NASA runs space camps at various locations in the US for children and teenagers with an interest in astronomy.
- Bly gesond, physically and mentally. This is essential for your acceptance onto a flight, your wellbeing up there, and your re-adjustment to gravity and everyday society on return. With a well-controlled medical condition such as asthma or diabetes, or with advancing age, it is nowadays possible to undertake adventurous travel on earth. That's not yet possible for space but may become so in the years ahead.
- Be skeptical of commercial "astronaut training camps" that spring up from time to time. They're like screen-writing courses in Hollywood, they make their money from hundreds of wannabes while doing nothing to foster genuine talent. Only go on the basis that they won't get you closer to space but still look value-for-money as an experience. Be even more skeptical of "investment opportunities" and discount ticket sales on some unbuilt space vehicle, which might as well be powered by unicorns.
- Work: look at the websites of the space agencies to see what they're hiring, and consider what skills might get you into space. (No point getting hired just as a delivery driver unless you're Fry in Futurama.) Think ahead on how that job market might evolve: they'll probably need fewer pilots but more specialists. Solar panel maintenance, water extraction from Martian shale, who knows?
Microgravity and edge of space
Jumping from a high place doesn't replicate microgravity: there's such an immediate onrush of air that your body behaves aerodynamically, albeit similar to a brick. You get slightly closer by jumping from a helicopter, since the air is blasting downwards from the rotor, and there's 2-3 seconds of "weightless" goofery before the usual airflow resumes. You get considerably closer by jumping from very high altitude into very thin air, so it might be most of a minute before you approach terminal velocity and lose the weightless sensation. Two 21st-century balloon jumps were from around 40 km altitude. This of course means expensive, complicated, bespoke systems to get you up there and keep you alive. You need to wear a spacesuit, and Orbital Outfitters was one company designing suits for such use, but they went bust in 2017.
The weightlessness experienced in orbit can be created by a parabolic aircraft flight, which alternates low g-forces for about 30 seconds at the top of its arcs with high g-forces at the bottom. These parabolic flights are notoriously nausea-inducing, leading to the nickname Vomit Comet, but commercial operators claim that their shorter flights (15 parabolas) are considerably gentler than research and training flights which involve 40-80.
- 1 Incredible Adventures, 1903 Northgate Blvd, Sarasota, Florida, USA (Go onto Northgate Blvd from US-301 (a.k.a Washington Blvd) and it's just a few houses until you're there), ☏ 1 941 346-2603, tolvry: 1 800 644-7382, ✉[email protected]. This company provides zero-g flights either from Moskou of van Florida. You can customize when do you want to fly in the Florida flights. In the Florida flights, your plane will go from Martian gravity (1/3 Earth gravity) to Lunar gravity (1/6 Earth gravity) and finally to zero-g; and the flight will make 10-12 maneuvers, with each maneuver lasting 10 seconds. In the Moscow flights, the flight will last for 1.5 to 2 hours but you'll only get to float for 5 minutes. The plane will depart from the Chkalovsky Airfield for Moscow and St Pete-Clearwater International Airport for Florida. Children under 18 years old are not allowed to go on either flight. $3,000 for Florida, unknown for Moscow (determined by the company).
- Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G), 4601 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 1200, Arlington, Virginia 22201, USA (go west on Fairfax Dr from the Ballston-MU metrorail station), ☏ 1 703 894-2188, tolvry: 1 888 664-7284, faks: 1 702 947-6343, ✉[email protected]. Offers flights from Las Vegas (Nevada), San Francisco (California), Orlando, Miami en Kaap Canaveral (all Florida) on a modified Boeing 727 named "G-FORCE ONE" with a large compartment suitable for weightless tumbling. 15 parabolas will be flown, with several brief simulations of freefall, lunar gravity (1/6 Terran), and Martian gravity (1/3 Terran). There's about 8 minutes of freefall. After the flight ends, there will be a Regravitation Ceremony and you'll be handed out certificates and pre-flight photos. US$5,400 for 1 seat, US$55,000 for 12 seats, US$165,000 for private flight.
- 2 Space Affairs, Bismarckstraße 72, 28203 Bremen, Duitsland (Go to the Dobbenweg bus station of Line 25 and then go east through Bismarckstraße), ☏ 41 44 500 50 10, 44 20 3179 3070, tolvry: 1 888 881-1893, faks: 1 661 843-1871, ✉[email protected]. Flights on Russian MiG-31 Foxhounds have ended, but flights on balloons named "BLOON" have not started yet, and commercial BLOON flights are expected to start in 2020. However, you can already book a flight as of August 2019. BLOON is a very safe and steady balloon and can ascend up to 36 km (22 mi). On the day before your flight, you will head over to southern Spanje, where the BLOON launch site is located. That night, there will be some easy training and stargazing using telescopes. The next day, you must get up early for the flight, and the BLOON will ascend to about 36 km. See the curvature of the Earth! After 2 hours, the BLOON will descend, and you'll soon be back on Earth. €110,000 per flight.
- 3 MiGFlug, Grüngasse 19, CH-8004 Zürich, Switserland (First go to the Bezirksgebäude station of tram lines 2, 3 and 19 and bus line N14, and then go through Wyssgasse until you're at the end), ☏ 41 44 500 50 10, 44 20 3179 3070, tolvry: 1 888 881-1893, faks: 1 661 843-1871, ✉[email protected]. As of June 2020, this program is unavailable, but you can contact MiGFlug for them to put you on the waiting list. Offering supersonic flights with a Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum jet up to 22 km (14 mi), departing from Russia. The MiG-29 Fulcrum is not guaranteed to go that high, but 17 km (11 mi) up is guaranteed. The MiG-29 Fulcrum will be climbing up in a ballistic path at nearly Mach 2. The flight package also includes transportation between your hotel and the airbase, a medical checkup before the flight, flight training, flight certificate with max altitude, a visit to the airbase museum, and an optional HD video and photo service of you at the edge of space. Edge of space jet flight for 50 minutes: from €17,500/person.
Space flight
Sub-orbital flight
This means flying higher than 100 km but not fast enough to achieve orbit, so you follow a ballistic curve like an ICBM. While no operators are offering sub-orbital flight, the privately funded and built SpaceShipOne in 2004 demonstrated that this is a possible market.
- Take pictures. You might not need to bring a camera if the spaceship's CCTV and external imaging is comprehensive.
- Virgin Galactic. Founded by who else but Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic is selling tickets for sub-orbital flights on SpaceShipTwo for US$250,000 a seat. Flights will go up to about 50,000 ft (15,000 m) and reach speeds of Mach 3, but while total flight time is 2.5 hours, weightlessness will only last for about 6 minutes. The company has placed an order for five second-generation spaceships from Scaled Composites, the builders of SpaceShipOne. Initial flights will take place from Mojave, California (US), but later flights will move to Spaceport America near Waarheid of gevolge, New Mexico (US) and Kiruna, Swede. Departures will first be weekly, and eventually climbing to once or twice daily. Three-day training will be available on site. A successful test flight was performed on 5 April 2018. US$250,000 per seat.
Orbital flight
This is the real deal. No one's going to accept that you were "in space" until you've gone into orbit. The minimum practical height for this is 350 km; otherwise, atmospheric drag will retard you and force you down. The 350-2,000 km region is known as Low Earth Orbit, and most artificial satellites are found in this range, including Russian Soyuz vessels, Chinese Shenzhou craft, and the ISS. For instance, the ISS at 400 km is near the bottom of this range, so its orbit continually decays, and it needs altitude-boosting every few years to stay up there. The price tag for a trip to this region starts at around US$40 million.
- Space Adventures, 8000 Towers Crescent Drive, Suite 1000, Vienna, Virginia, USA, tolvry: 1-888-85-SPACE (77223), ✉[email protected]. Space Adventures has organized orbital flights to the International Space Station (ISS), the only fully functioning space station in orbit. Around US$35 million per person will buy you basic training and a launch on a Soyuz vessel from Baikonur or a Crew Dragon vessel from Florida to the ISS. Participants must also fulfill certain physical fitness requirements to ensure their and the mission's safety. The ISS was launched in 1998 and has a Russian half and an American half. It orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, and 16 sunrises and sunsets can be seen from it every 24 hours. The ISS consists of 14 main modules including 4 labs, a utility hub, an airlock, and a life support module.
- Axiom Space, Houston, Texas, USA. Axiom Space has planned to send to send three tourists to the ISS on October 2021. They have selected two tourists so far and the third is yet to be announced. They have also planned to construct a space hotel on the ISS in 2024.
- Extravehicular activity (EVA), better known as space-walking, means exiting the spacecraft to float around in space. It's only realistic in orbit and beyond, as a suborbital flight is too brief. Space Adventures offer EVA, but there have been no takers yet: it costs US$20 million extra, requires an extra month of training, and has additional fitness qualifications.
- Do science since you're up there anyway — plan this with the organizers in advance, and assume it must involve zero extra weight. Tourists on scientific missions may be able to contribute, at the very least by being the subject of medical observations.
- Private firm SpaceX transports astronauts to the International Space Station, and Boeing plans to as well. Russian Soyuz spacecraft had exclusively filled this gap since the 2011 end of the U.S. Space Shuttle program until 2020 when a SpaceX rocket with astronaut passengers bound for the ISS launched from Florida. NASA plans to allow tourists to stay on the ISS, charging $35,000 per night. The expensive part will be getting there: round-trip fare to the ISS by Boeing or SpaceX is estimated at $60 million.
- China is testing out the technology for space stations and is planning to launch a complete modular space station like the ISS by 2022.
- Boeing. Boeing announced the CST-100 Starliner, an orbital capsule capable of orbital flight with up to 7 passengers at "competitive prices".
Trans-orbital flight
Leaving the endless loop around Earth to journey elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond. Nobody has gone that far since the Apollo 17 flew the last lunar mission in 1972, nearly fifty years ago. There are no government-backed projects to return people to the Moon or to reach Mars, though work continues on the massive challenges such as self-sufficient habitats. Commercial or private proposals are wildly speculative.
- SpaceX is planning a tourist flight around the Moon for Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who wants to invite a group of artists to come with him. The trip is planned for 2023, but the company has a history of making ambitious plans and then delaying or canceling them.
Eet
Although space food has come a long way in terms of appeal and variety, the quality and flavor are still not up to standards of most connoisseurs of fine cuisine. Your transportation provider may offer some choice in the foods available, but you will be limited by their willingness to indulge you.
The freeze-dried "astronaut ice cream" sometimes sold on Earth as a novelty item is a misnomer; it has never actually been served on any manned space mission, and the texture is as off-putting to astronauts as it is to everyone else. However, real ice cream has occasionally been eaten in space by astronauts aboard Skylab, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station (usually when frozen components for scientific experiments are being sent up and there's some space remaining).
Real space food has to be carefully tested to make sure it's nutritionally balanced, can be stored for months without refrigeration, and is suitable for a zero-gravity environment. Food that would leave crumbs, for example, is problematic. The menu on the ISS generally consists of American and Russian staples along with other meals and international cuisines that have been requested and developed. Food packaged in Russian cans is generally the best quality-wise but is also the heaviest, so only a limited number of these are allowed. Most food is in plastic pouches; some of these are ready-to-eat after optionally being reheated (a variety of main and side dishes, as well as snacks like granola bars and candies) while many others are dehydrated and must be reconstituted with water (such as borscht, spaghetti with meat sauce, or cereal with powdered milk). Fresh foods like fruit are a treat sent on resupply missions; they must be eaten within two days before they spoil. While most plants grown in space have been for research, astronauts have eaten small amounts of several types of leafy greens that they have grown.
As the fixed menu repeats every 16 days on an extended stay, you'll soon grow tired of the monotony. Astronauts get personal containers in which they can select items not on the fixed menu as well as extras of favorites. Besides standard condiments (liquid salt solution, pepper oil, and ordinary fast-food packets of ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc.), astronauts bring extras like hot sauces, pesto, horseradish, and more. You can also try combining foods to make new dishes; one astronaut wrote, "I cannot think of anything that cannot be put on a tortilla, or has not been put on a tortilla."
Unfortunately, even with extensive research and development, astronauts find much food in space to be bland and often don't have much of an appetite. In zero-gravity, fluid in your body distributes evenly instead of being pulled to your feet, resulting in a permanent stuffy head that dulls your sense of smell and taste. Space travelers have typically preferred strongly-flavored and spicy foods; beef jerky is a particular favorite. (Similar but weaker phenomena can be observed with airline food, in that case due to the dry low-pressure atmosphere.) Nevertheless, you must eat to maintain energy and body mass. Among many other rules for eating in space, one is key: once you open a package of food, you must eat all of it. Leftover food will rot and become a biohazard, and there's no way to dispose of it.
Drink
Contrary to popular belief, Tang was invented shortly voorheen the U.S. space program, although its popularity soared when NASA used it on Mercury and Gemini missions.
Water tends to be scarce (as it is heavy and must be brought from Earth at great expense), so ISS machinery recycles water aggressively. Scientific wastewater, humidity, and even urine are all recovered and sanitized. Astronauts don't mind the taste of the recycled water, which is actually purer than drinking water on Earth. And as one astronaut points out, the same kind of recycling happens naturally on Earth, too, just over a much longer timescale.
Like space food, space drinks are mainly freeze-dried and packaged in plastic pouches. Coffee, tea, and a variety of fruit drinks are available; they're drunk with a straw, and you have to be careful to always "close" the straw between sips so liquid doesn't get accidentally squirted inside the vehicle.
Since 2015 the ISS has had a machine that can make fresh espresso in addition to other hot drinks. It's used with a special cup that has a narrow spout; surface tension causes water-based liquids to climb the spout, from which you can sip it like you would on Earth. However, in zero-gravity, the crema foam is distributed throughout the espresso instead of floating to the top.
Carbonated beverages aren't allowed because the bubbles don't rise in zero-gravity, leading to very unpleasant "wet burps". Alcohol has been consumed on a few flights in the past (mainly by Russian crews), but are prohibited on the ISS as it would interfere with the environmental systems, not to mention the potential danger for fire or crew impairment.
Slaap
While sleeping in zero gravity may sound relaxing, the overall experience is mediocre. Maintaining your circadian rhythm is difficult on a craft that experiences a sunrise and sunset every 90 minutes, and schedule disruptions due to mission planning and long workdays create further problems. On the ISS, astronauts each have a cabin about the size of a shower stall. Inside this, they zip themselves into a sleeping bag on the wall. Constant noise from the station is annoying, and astronauts are often cold because of the strong ventilation, which is needed to push away the carbon dioxide they exhale and replace it with oxygen.
- 1 Bigelow Aerospace, 1899 W Brooks Ave, Las Vegas NV 89032, ☏ 1 702 639-4440. They built the first successful prototype of an inflatable space hotel in 2006-2007. In 2016, a prototype was delivered to the ISS on a SpaceX rocket to undergoing testing, but otherwise it will remain unoccupied. A 10–60 day "live and work visit", once available, is expected to cost between $26–37 million.
Bly veilig
While more mature technology has made it safer than it was in the 1960s, space remains an inherently dangerous environment to put yourself in. Cosmic radiation, extreme temperatures, micrometeorites, engineering mistakes, high speeds, explosive fuels, space debris, the distance to terra firma, and the lack of atmosphere make enige unplanned situation potentially life-threatening. Spacecraft launch testing is extremely expensive, so spacecraft don't and can't have thousands of flight hours. By the standards of aviation, elke space flight is a test flight.
Albei launch (our only method of getting to space is to sit on a huge fuel-filled container and hope it behaves like a rocket and not a bomb) and reentry (if you hit it in the wrong angle you burn up in or bounce off the atmosphere) have thus far proven to be the biggest dangers during a mission. So far most accidents have been during launch and reentry as well as during training and testing; only three humans have died in space (albeit during preparations for reentry), but there have been several close calls such as Apollo 13 or the very first spacewalk. Some of the technological problems and close calls only became known to the public decades after they happened, so there may still be dangers you won't even know you are facing.
Voyagers should be wary of purchasing space flights on projects that haven't yet begun. Many ventures are highly speculative; PanAm's “First Moon Flights” Club issued over 93,000 waiting list spots between 1968-1971 and predicted launch dates for many subsequent commercial expeditions have slipped just as dramatically. If there are complications with the project or the company goes under, you might lose your money and your plans. Just look at the bold predictions of some private space companies that have already proven to be less permanent than a shooting star.
Bly gesond
Astronaut training is physically demanding, so good physical fitness is a good starting point. Similar physical and mental stresses are present in particularly demanding types of military service, piloting fighter aircraft, mountain climbing, Antarctic expeditions, and advanced scuba diving such as cave diving. National astronaut programs often require athlete-like physical fitness en experience from these or comparable tasks. There are no hospitals in space and rescue is difficult or impossible, so people with conditions that might require immediate medical treatment are not qualified for space travel.
Although early astronauts hid the truth to protect their tough-guy image, we now know that about half of all travelers experience space sickness, a condition related to motion sickness with similar symptoms including vomiting and vertigo. Most people adapt within 3 days, and medicinal anti-nausea patches help with the symptoms.
You need to exercise to stay healthy in zero gravity. Even so, you'll still lose both bone and muscle mass. Astronauts on extended stays are required to exercise at least 2.5 hours every single day. While exercise helps diminish the problem somewhat, a long stay will still see you weakened, and several cosmonauts and astronauts had difficulty getting out of their capsule and onto their own feet upon landing.
Another concern is cosmic radiation. While you are exposed to a certain level of background radiation at all times, it gets higher in certain areas on earth and once you leave the protective layers of the atmosphere. This is already notable on a commercial transatlantic flight at 10,000 m, and only gets worse if you go up to the International Space Station (ISS) at 400 km above the Earth's surface. While the ISS still enjoys some limited protection against radiation, once you go well beyond that height, or even to the moon, there are short term and long term risks associated with radiation that only get worse the longer you stay. Particularly dangerous are solar storms that may give you a year's worth of radiation in just a couple of hours. Shielding against radiation is also one of the major problems in ever sending humans to Mars, as all known solutions involve huge amounts of extra weight for the spacecraft or too high a risk to the crew.
Hanteer
Klere in space actually don't get dirty very quickly, due to a variety of environmental factors. Wearing the same underwear 3-4 days in a row is no big deal! However, there's no practical way to wash clothes in space; astronauts get fresh clothes from resupply missions, and the dirty ones are discarded as trash (which is incinerated by sending it into Earth's atmosphere).
Although a shower was tested on Skylab with mixed feedback from astronauts, it was large and cumbersome, and hasn't been used again. Astronauts take sponge baths using liquid soap, water, and rinseless shampoo. Washing of hands (and cutlery) is similarly done with napkins and washcloths.
Sommige toilette in space come in different shapes, but they usually operate on similar principles. They generally have a funnel-like receptacle for urine and a larger bowl for solid waste, both using suction to capture the material and any odors. You have to hold on or strap in, of course, and there are procedures to follow for operating the toilet and cleaning up afterwards. The degree of privacy depends on the craft; stations have enclosed cabins (as did the Space Shuttle), but in smaller craft it may be merely tucked away in a corner, hidden behind a curtain, or is in the open and you have to ask your fellow passengers to face the other way. On short missions, many astronauts prefer to simply avoid using the toilet, relying on enemas before launch and low-fiber diets.
Mental health in space is paramount. You're stuck with a small number of people in very cramped quarters for weeks at a time, or months for permanent crew on the ISS. While short missions may be different, astronauts on the ISS do get weekends and a few holidays off. They have a projector for watching select TV shows and movies (sometimes before they play in theaters), and laptops for surfing the internet and talking to family. They bring their favorite hobbies with them, and the ISS now has an assortment of musical instruments on board.
Godsdienstige dienste
Although sticking to the traditional rituals and schedules can be difficult, religion has been actively practiced in space, both privately and publicly. Upon seeing Earth from outer space, quite a few visitors to space have experienced a shift in their awareness, dubbed the "overview effect", becoming much more aware of how fragile and isolated life on Earth is compared to the vastness of the universe.
Christians have celebrated Communion in space, including Buzz Aldrin from the surface of the Moon during Apollo 11 (the chalice that was used is on display at his home church in Webster, Texas) and several astronauts on the ISS. Christmas is celebrated every year on the ISS (sometimes more than once, due to differences between the Julian calendar used by the Russian Orthodox Church and the Gregorian calendar) and includes a small artificial Christmas tree, Christmas dinner, and sometimes presents for the crew.
Islam has been practiced in space, and there are guidelines for how to pray in space (which address kneeling, facing Mecca, and washing) as well as how to time prayers and fasts for a 24-hour day when experiencing a sunrise and sunset every 90 minutes (generally based on the point of departure from land). It may be difficult or impossible to verify whether food is halal, in which case one should eat just enough to ward off hunger. There is a fatwa forbidding devout Muslims from participating in missions to Mars, as the risk to life is considered too great.
Judaism has also been practiced in space, and there are similar guidelines for observing Shabbat (also based on the point of departure from land) and orienting oneself while praying. Some adaptations may be needed to affix a mezuzah or wear a prayer shawl. Keeping kosher is possible with appropriate selection of meals, and there is already personal time allocated in schedules which could be used to study the Torah. However, properly observing tzniut (modesty) in mixed-gender crews might be impossible as that would require separate showers and toilets for men and women, which no vessel has (as of 2020). The danger to one's life should also be weighed carefully.
No matter your religion, if in doubt of the rules, check with an appropriate religious authority. If possible, do so several months or years in advance so leaders have enough time to consider the implications and determine the answers.
Gaan volgende
What goes up must come down—at least for now.
Once you've exhausted the Moon, there are countless opportunities for exploration and discovery down on the surface, in places such as Afrika, Asië, Europa, Noord-Amerika, Suid-Amerika, Australië, Antarktika, and countless eilande tussenin.
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