Suborbital space tourism just got another boost thanks to Dassault Aviation who is building a new spacecraft to take rich civilians into space.
Their new design is based upon the NASA’s X-38 experimental plane which is not a ground launch vehicle, but rather one that takes off from the wing of a commercial aircraft that is flying at a cruising altitude of 25,000 feet. The spacecraft will be able to take a 6 person team to a height of 62 miles at speeds of up to Mach 3.5. This is just to the edge of space.
Fliers on board this craft will have all of three minutes of “free time” in space to experience the feelings of weightlessness (and perhaps nausea) before the aircraft returns back to earth as a glider, ultimately landing like a conventional aircraft.
No details on just how much this will cost, but seeing as this will be one of the first companies to offer such thrill rides, you can bet it won’t be cheap. If you have money to burn and are looking for something more then just a three minute ride, you may want to also check out Virgin and Richard Branson’s underwater plane called the Necker Nymph.
Via: Geeky Gadgets, DVICE
Virgin Galactic is not the only game in town. Armadillo Aerospace and XCOR Aerospace are offering suborbital experiences priced less than Virgin Galactic.As a space tourism specialist, I can attest that each company once fully operational will offer different experiences. One will not necessarily be better than the other, only different. Some customers might even choose to experience all three suborbital flights.