Private Mission Available on the SpaceX

26 Nov Private Mission Available on the SpaceX

For almost 20 years, Space Adventures has created unique and previously impossible opportunities for private citizens to experience space. As you may know, we’ve arranged eight spaceflight missions to the International Space Station (ISS) with our clients traveling over 36 million miles. Along the way, we’ve also arranged several “firsts” in space tourism starting with, well, the First Space Tourist – in 2001! We have also arranged for:

• The first African in space;
• The first female space tourist;
• The first space tourist to go more than once;
• The first second generation US astronaut;
• The first clown in space.

And now, we’re partnering with SpaceX for another “first of its kind” mission opportunity. The Dragon/Falcon 9 reusable system has consistently impressed the aerospace industry and we’re really excited to offer this mission opportunity.

So, what’s the mission?

We’re offering the chance of a lifetime to launch aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to low-Earth orbit (LEO). We know that some people like to push boundaries and may be thrilled to orbit Earth in the autonomously-piloted Dragon. The spacecraft will be launched by the Falcon 9 rocket – same transportation system that will transport NASA astronauts to the space station.

Our previous clients visited the ISS, which is an amazing destination in LEO. But we want to offer our clients a choice and ability to find a mission that satisfies their desires, so for this mission we removed the visit to the ISS. This mission is another step forward in our ability to offer different spaceflight experiences.

Instead of visiting the ISS, this mission will provide up to four individuals with the opportunity to break the world altitude record for private citizen spaceflight and see planet Earth the way no one has since the Gemini program.

We believe this is an ideal mission for those seeking a simplified spaceflight experience and don’t have a large contingent of science to accomplish in space.

Here’s what it means:

• The training time for the mission is greatly reduced. Training will focus solely on the Dragon spacecraft which requires minimal crew control. And the training will be conducted in the USA, which we know is appealing to a lot of our potential customers.
• Because there is no docking with the ISS, we can reach a significantly higher altitude. Higher altitude means passengers will see much more curvature of the Earth and far greater area of Earth outside the window.
• There are fewer constraints on the schedule and less complicated logistics. So this gives our clients a little more control of the schedule.

How many people can go

The mission can accommodate up to four people. Our clients will determine the final number. Obviously, the price changes depending on the number of people launching.

What’s the price?

The price for this mission is in the same range as past private orbital spaceflights. We can’t say more than that as it depends on who chooses to participate and the make-up of the participants. If you are interested in learning more, and when appropriate are prepared to demonstrate your financial capability, then contact us for more information.

How long is the mission?

There are a number of factors to consider. Technical considerations determine the upper bound of what is possible – likely 3-4 days, but potentially up to 5 days, but the rest will be determined in consultation with our clients and SpaceX.

Not only are we excited to share with you this mission opportunity with SpaceX, but there are additional spaceflight windows of opportunities opening now as well.

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