Space tourism is like a wildest dream to numerous. Recently, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos blasted in space on his rocket business Blue Origin’s very first flight. He is now a second billionaire to ride his personal spacecraft. The Nehru Science Centre (Mumbai) in association with the Aeronautical Society of India, Mumbai Branch organised an on line lecture on ‘Space Tourism: The Next Frontier’ on Tuesday (July 27, 2021). Dr. Punita Masrani, Aerospace Medicine Specialist, V. M. Medical Centre, Mumbai in the on line discussion took note of numerous elements of the industrial space travel in the lecture.
In the on line lecture, Dr Punita discussed how the idea of Space tourism or industrial space travel is not new and also discussed its history–right from the notion conception to reality. Space tourism is the space travel for recreational, leisure or company purposes, she stated. Citing the current instance, she stated, “Space Tourism has been in news not too long ago since of two American billionaires, Richard Bronsan and Jeff Bezos who went into space as vacationers employing their individual rockets and aircraft.
Dr. Punita stated that NASA and the Russian Space Agency had earlier began taking vacationers for space travel calling the procedure exorbitant and stringent. A spacecraft named Russian Soyuz used to take vacationers every single 6 months. ‘Space Adventures was the first agency in the field of Space Tourism. The agency was started by US billionaire Richard Garriot in 1998. The agency offered brokered rides aboard the Russian Soyuz Rockets’ Dr. Punita stated. While each NASA and the Russian Space Agency halted space tourism, industrialists and entrepreneurs believed they could start out private missions so that more and more persons could travel to space. This gave birth to the idea of Space tourism, Dr Punita added.
Dennis Tito was the very first industrial spaceflight passenger ahead of which only astronauts went to space for investigation purposes, stated Dr Punita in her lecture. Tito went to space on the Russian Soyuz TMA Launch Vehicle in April 2001. Mark Shuttleworth, Greg Olsen, Anoush Ansari, Charles Simony, Richard Garriott, Guy Laliberte had been other people who went on paid trips to space involving 2002 to 2009. The private space travelers had to go by way of stringent choice requirements, substantial education, and adopted measures to counteract challenges, she added.
Dr. Punita also discussed in detail the numerous businesses that are working in the field of private space travel. First she discussed–Blue Origin, which was established in 2000 by Amazon CEO/ Founder Jeff Bezos. Blue Origin’s reusable rocket New Shepard effectively completed its very first human flight not too long ago with 4 private citizens onboard. The crew integrated Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos, Wally Funk and Oliver Daemen. The rocket New Shephard took off on 20th July 2021 from West Texas, United States.
SpaceX, which is an American aerospace manufacturer, founded by Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla Motors in 2002. The business created the Dragon Spacecraft which was applied by NASA astronauts to go to the International Space Station. Space X is also organizing to send citizens to the International Space Station on a 10-day paid trip. It is also organizing trips to the moon and Mars.
Dr. Punita also informed NASA not too long ago has permitted private citizens to the International Space Station for a quick check out. Companies like Axiom Space are involved in the education of private astronauts. The business is also organizing a Private Space station in future.
Dr. Punita also introduced the fundamental terminologies involved in space tourism like–orbital flights, sub orbital flights, low earth orbits. According to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, an altitude above 100km above sea level i.e., Kármán Line is Space. The similar agency considers an altitude of 50 miles (80.47km) as the altitude to qualify as spaceflight.
Dr. Punita also informed that the International Space Station is a modular space station in low Earth orbit (Thermosphere). The station was established in 1998. It is a multinational collaborative project involving 5 participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).
DR. Punita, although concluding the lecture, also discussed that the science involved threat, awareness, issues, and healthcare informed consent which are crucial components of tourism. She additional explained probable post flight healthcare circumstances and influence of space travel on the human body and brain.