They are the first tourists in space — Meet people who will pay 55 million dollars for an “all-inclusive” arrangement in space!
Finally, we have the first tourists in space! Two have grandchildren, and the third has three small children. All three are extremely wealthy. They will pay a ticket price of $ 55 million for an eight-day stay on the International Space Station.
They are the first tourists in space, who have the courage and enough money for it.
Early next year, if all goes according to plan, the trio will take off from the Kennedy Space Center aboard the SpaceX Dragon for a planned eight-day stay on the International Space Station.
They are Larry Connor, managing partner of the “Connor Group”, an Ohio-based real estate investment company, Mark Patty. He is CEO of the Canadian investment company “Mauritius Corp.” The third is Eitan Stib, a businessman and former fighter pilot.
They should be accompanied by Michael Lopez-Alegria, a former NASA astronaut who flew into space four times. Now he is the vice president of “Axiom Space”, a company based in Houston that coordinates their space trip. Lopez-Alegria is overseeing their training and will serve as the mission commander, reports The Washington Post.
If it happens as predicted, the flight will mark a turning point in human space flight, one that will eventually make space more accessible and further erode the monopoly that governments have long held space travel.
The company, which is still finishing work with NASA, plans two flights a year and is also developing its own space station.
NASA hopes that will one day be able to replace the International Space Station, a laboratory in orbit that has been in space for 22 years.
“This is just the first of several Axiom space crews whose private missions on the International Space Station will truly open up an expansive future for people in space. Also, will make a significant difference in the world when they return home,” said Michael Safredini, president of Axiom Space. executive director, the statement said.
Who are the new passengers
Patty, 51, who has three small children, one of the three first tourists in space had a passion for space all his life. He didn’t think he would ever be able to leave until a friend told him about the “Axiom Space” missions. His first reaction was skeptical.
“I wasn’t sure it was completely real and I had never heard of this company. Obviously, I wouldn’t have exploded in a rocket if this was some kind of Mickey Mouse travel outfit. But the more I inquired and the more I spoke directly to them, the more I realized more that they were the real thing. It was really possible. And that moment when you think — My God, this is something I could actually do, “it’s a bit of a surreal moment.
The flight of private citizens into space is a goal that NASA has had for years. At the beginning of the space shuttle program, they planned to offer places for private citizens and launched the “Space Flight Participant” program. The program, however, ended after the space shuttle “Challenger” exploded shortly after takeoff, and the agency concluded that space flight was too risky for ordinary citizens.
In an interview with “The Post”, the new crew of the Axiom flight said that they are well aware of the risk and that they take the flight seriously.
There may be skepticism in the ranks of professional astronaut corps, so their goal is to prove their merit with the conviction and modest dedication that the endeavor deserves.
“There will definitely be resistance,” said Lopez-Alegria, 62, who spent 20 years as a NASA astronaut and holds the record for most spacewalks.
“I think it’s our job to win them. We can certainly do that maximally prepared and professional. And so, my goal is to bring those guys to the point where no stone is overturned. And when they enter the station, the crews are satisfied, maybe even pleasant “says Lopez-Alegria.
Stibbe, 63, who flew in combat missions for the Israeli air force and is the founder of an investment company, is well aware of the risks. He was a close friend of Ilan Ramon, the first Israel astronaut, who died in 2003 when he was in space the Columbia shuttle exploded over Texas.
He is now a board member of the foundation created in Ramon’s honor. As for his flight, Stib said — Obviously there is some fear, and this is definitely extreme. And then there are the risks and I am aware of the risks, writes The Washington Post.
Connor, 71, would become the second oldest person to go into space after John Glenn flew on a shuttle at the age of 77. He and others are the first tourists in space. He said he wanted to leave a good impression so that others could follow in his footsteps.
“We have a vital responsibility as the first group of private astronauts to do it right so that we do not end up becoming the last group,” he said.
How much does a space ticket cost?
These trips, although still expensive, cost far less than a trip to a space station. Virgin charged $ 250,000, although that price is likely to rise in the short term. Blue Origin has not announced prices yet.
Patty and Connor traveled to Cape Canaveral last year to witness the first launch of SpaceX astronauts. It was the first time they had both been on a rocket launch and they both said they were in fear.
“You feel that sound in your chest,” Patty said.
Over the years, several wealthy citizens have previously flown privately to the space station. On the Russian spacecraft Soyuz because NASA has banned the practice on flights from American soil.
In 2019, NASA reversed its position, saying that the missions would help strengthen the growing commercial space industry, as well as NASA’s result. The space agency charges $ 35,000 a day per passenger for food, storage, and communication during its stay in the orbiting laboratory — a total of more than $ 1 million for four people over eight days.
Much condemnation of society
They are also aware that there are problems on Earth that need to be solved large part of the public perceives space flights as excessive enjoyment, especially during a pandemic and economic crisis. Crew members say they see the flight as an improvement on their other philanthropic efforts.
“There are many problems — adversity and, in some ways, crisis, here, not only in the United States but around the world. And that must absolutely be a priority. But we cannot forget the future. We cannot forget that we have long-term visions. .. And we hope that this mission and the research we will do will be one small step on that path, “Connor said.
Conor also collaborates with the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic on research projects. He also intends to teach students at the Dayton Early College Academy, a K-12 charter school with 1,300 students, 75 percent of whom are from low-income families.
Pati collaborates with the Canadian Space Agency and the Children’s Hospital in Montreal on health research projects. And Stib plans to conduct scientific research coordinated by the Ramon Foundation and the Israeli Space Agency.
What do you think about the first tourists in space? Are they too brave and is it worth giving so much money?
Originally published at https://viral-storm.com on February 5, 2021.
