Commercial space vehicle development and the growth of space tourism

Space Vehicles for Future Space Tourism

Developing Space Vehicles for Future Space Tourism

Today, certain individuals in the developing countries could be viewing "space tourism" as vocabulary. Nonetheless, in the developed countries, this term is turning to be more familiar and gradually becoming a holiday experience for world Forbes. This is an expensive venture that is exciting, stunning, adventurous, and relatively remains the least exploited phenomena in the world history. Since the first "space tour" in 2001, the rich stamps their foot on a fact that wherever they can go, the poor cannot manage to go, and what the poor can do, they can do best. Over the past few decades, the general perception about space tourism has been changing yearly. History reveals that this perception considered space tourism as a "science fiction." However, this term currently gains recognition and is becoming the most important grand target for the growing space industry. Such developments have been in compliance with the supportive space tourism study programs within a range of countries. This leads to the development of a scenario that receives a mutual consensus among the space industry (Ashford, 1984). Supposing some $18 billion of funding could be available to each space tourism company, the commercial passenger space travel services to and from the Earth's orbit could develop rapidly in order to meet the growing demand for the space tourism. For instance, at a growth rate of approximately 150,000 passengers per year, the space tourism companies could probably hit a minimum of 750,000 passengers per year by 2020s, at approximate prices 30,000 per passenger.

Not until the late 20th century, humans' dreams of travelling to above the earth turned to be a reality (Ashford, 1984). However, due to their determinations, humans still carry out research, which targets the testing and enhancement of new technological methods of making the outer space highly susceptible and accessible to everyone. This technology is becoming much closer to refinement and almost readily available to the developed countries. Unsurprisingly, just in the past decade, individual billionaires such as Paul Allen of Microsoft and Mr. Richard Branson; the managing director of Virgin Atlantic among other few individuals began to view themselves to be fortunate by privately propelling themselves to the space. According to Ashford (1984), in the near future, many people will be capable of launching into the outer space minus the assistance or selection by a NASA astronaut.

There are several challenges facing the space industry. Several companies face difficulties in developing vehicles, which can take people into the space just in a fraction the currently prevailing prices due to the high cost of production and maintenance. For instance, space travel tickets cost somewhere between 95 to 200 thousand dollars for a single flight. With the growing contemporary technologies, there is an expectation that these costs should drop to approximately 20 thousand dollars or bellow in the near future. This will make the space flights more accessible to people, including those with medium income levels, offering them a chance to excite the weightless venture out into the space just as the rich people do. This paper thereby serves to champion for changes towards the betterment of future space vehicles and space travel. Chief in this subject is the development newfangled space vehicles for an enhanced future travels. Many scholars argue that one of the best ways of solving a problem is by ignoring it. However, in this context, Bono (1973) argues that the best way to solve problems related to space innovations is by understanding the challenges and taking appropriate actions towards a relevant solution. The development of space vehicles is not only a viable venture, but also an honorable accomplishment that earns space companies a great reputation. It does not only involve the necessity and development of space vehicles, but also regarded as unavoidable undertaking.

The new Demands for Space Travel

Muller (2008) reveals that the first tourist to enjoy a trip into the international space station was a multi-millionaire known as Tito Dennis who spent approximately 20 million dollars for his space trip in 2001. Dennis traveled on board a Russian Soyuz capsule, launched by an American company known as Space Adventures, Ltd. After 2001, a number of other wealthy clients traveled in space trips. However, cost of flight still remains so much high, making the space tourism mainstream extremely expensive to date.

Currently, there is a wide understanding regarding the growth of human activities into the space. These activities are critically dependent on the costs of space travel and/or transportation that strongly draws its foundation from the rates of traffic. Furthermore, the escalating demand for space launches arise due to the demand for meteorology, satellite communications, scientific research, surveillance, and space tourism. Nevertheless, the worldwide demand for an increased rate of launches (approximately 100 launches per year) are considered sufficient enough to justify the development costs of a completely re-usable launch vehicle (Bono, 1973). This is necessary because the industry, as well as their customers (space travelers), expect the costs to reduce substantially lower than the current cost that is approximately $10,000 per kilogram.

One of the potential uses for space flights, which directly arise from the widely popular space interest is the space tourism. This involves taking short trips of pleasure into the Low Earth Orbit by civilian or members of the public. However, the industry considers this potential use in little depths. The major reason for ignoring the space tourism has been due to the high cost of space travel. The potential demand for the space tourism thereby clings to the fact that it could turn out to be top revenue earning activity supposing the space launch vehicles and space stations could sufficiently reduce their price charges. The rapidly growing space technology predicts that, in the near future, there will be a reduction in the cost of space holidays due to the affordability of prices in significant proportions to the demand population. By this, the space tourism and the entire space industry will flourish and provide a high traffic rate for transportation to and from the low earth orbit (Ashford, 1984). As a result, the space development industries will be capable of justifying the commercial improvements in low cost launch of space vehicles and advanced infrastructure, which in turn will lead to daily exploitation of the entire space in related space applications.

Despite a considerable public interest in space adventure, there exists a very narrow range of public appreciation about the diverse activities that are entertaining and interesting within the orbiting facilities. Nonetheless, the prospective demand for space holidays continuously increase every year. For instance, a recent opinion poll conducted for the American Express Company within the United Kingdom reveals that over 50% of the rich population comprising people under the age of 45, and approximately 65% of those under 25 years would prefer space holidays. This scenario elicits that in the near future, if not all then about 90% of the rich, as well as the medium level earners, will be travelling to the space over their holidays. Similarly, the United Kingdom would not be an exceptional in this context.

A range of unique leisure activities are possible within the low earth orbit depending on their costs of provision. Upon their return, space travelers report unique observations from aerial low earth orbit and terrestrial phenomena from aperture within the earth orbit even after some hours. Man-powered flights utilize fabric wings attached to the arms and tails connected to the ankles will be conceivable in low gravity. In relations to this developing manufacturing technology, a number of contemporary sports, recreational activities and leisure would appropriately exploit the possibility in the low earth orbit. Similarly, the cylindrical chamber that slowly rotates would enable space travelers to swim under low gravitational forces, and fly within the central space.

Available Technology

Various configurations envisaged to meet the requirements of space vehicle design may involve the new technology in order to pilot the process. These include designing the vehicle for effective horizontal take-off, and horizontal landing using the existing technology on rocket engine manufacturing on the orbiter. Alternatively, it could involve a combination of rocket engine and turbojet engine on the booster in order to come up with an advanced vehicle known as "Space-bus," which can perform a primary function of carrying passengers (fare-paying). The space bus has got a large booster stage, supersonic plane, with double take-off weight as that of Concord. Turbojet engines are to facilitate a smooth and swift take-off, fly-back, acceleration to Mach 3-4, and landing. As well, other four rocket engines of HM6O or J2S installed in the aft fuselage are useful during the take-off performance. These engines provide spurt to the speed separation of Mach 6, which occurs during the top semi-ballistic climb towards an altitude in which the dynamic pressure is extremely low thereby reducing both heating loads on the booster and air loads on the orbiter. The orbiter stage comprises of a conventional jet fuselage of 40-passengers capacity. The large, pressure-stabilized, thick wing carries liquid hydrogen or liquid oxygen useful during the fuel combustion.

Such technological growths will as well have fascinating implications on the hotel industry. Notably, the required technology for initial orbital accommodation is much simpler than that required by the passenger launch space vehicles. It is also simpler than that required within the orbiting research stations. Here, there is no need for extremely accurate high-speed computers, communications, attitude controls, and/or custom designed research equipment. Perhaps by 2030, orbital hotels will be beyond the first generations encompassing clusters of ordinary pre-fabricated modules, including large structures such as entertainment complexes, sports centers, and resort hotels assembled within the earth's orbit.

As the scenario described above develops, commercial incentives will arise thereby leading to at least one propellant service station within every hotel orbits, supplying hydrogen, oxygen, and water. The water supply (for conversion by solar powered electrolysis into hydrogen and oxygen), as well as oxygen from within the lunar surface supplied from cometary bodies, both propellant stations and low earth orbit, sports centers, and orbital hotels will probably be regular commercial activities by 2030. Another worth mentioning provision will be the necessity of ensuring that tourists of passengers do not grieve from the probable space adaptation syndromes. This will thereby call for the availability of technologically effective anti-nausea medications.

Approximately 45 years after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin of Russia became the first man to experience the spaceflight wonders, some commercial companies emerged to be on the nib of breaking through the industry (space tourism). In effect, private firms are currently at the peak of their competitive race in order to provide the paying-passengers with unique experiences of both orbital and suborbital ventures. The suborbital space vehicles would only carry passengers into space altitude of approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles), which is commonly known as the "space edge" before they can return to earth. Such passengers can get a glimpse of the planet edges, space darkness and several minutes of weightlessness experiences. On the other extreme end, orbital space flights are only affordable to multi-millionaires who can pay for the high cost rides into the low earth orbit, visiting the international space stations (Gerard & Jefferson, 1998).

Various sub-orbital space companies may include Zero G Corporation which commonly uses a space vehicle known as G. Force One (a modification of Boeing 727-200 aircraft). It is a Vienna, Va-based company. The G. Force One plane is capable of flying a series of approximately 12-15 parabolic arcs of diverse angles and altitudes that mimic the diverse state of microgravity. Another suborbital space company is Virgin Galactic Company, founded by Sir Richard Branson. The company's Spaceship Two plane is carried into the midair by a massive WhiteKnight-Two mother-ship. Upon hitting an altitude of about 15,200 meters (50,000 feet), the WhiteKnight-Two mother-ship releases Spaceship-Two, which in turn fires its rocket engine making it climb towards the end of the atmosphere. Its flights that carry two pilots and six passengers, usually depart from New Mexico's Spaceport in America. Other space flight companies, which look forward to breaking into the suborbital flight market and space tourism include the Blue Origin, Armadillo Aerospace, and XCOR Aerospace. The Blue Origin founded by Jeff Bezos; an Amazon.com CEO, is developing space vehicles, which are capable of flying a minimum of three or four passengers into the suborbital space. Armadillo Aerospace is a Taxa-based company founded by John Carmack while the XCOR Aerospace is a Mojave-based space company designing space vehicles to take-off and land on airport runways.

Orbital space flight companies include the Space Adventures, Inbloon, and the Space Expedition Corporation. Since their inceptions, the Space Adventures has been the most successful company on the entire globe. The company offers diverse flight programs which do not limit the actual space flights thereby winning a title of being the most famous space flight company that organizes tourist flights and/or trips to multi-billionaires. Several companies are currently designing, testing, and building space vehicles, which aim at filling the American gap in spaceflights following the hiccups in the NASA's space shuttle programs. SpaceX, Boeing, Sierra Nevada, and Blue Origin are rapidly developing, testing space vehicles, and launching systems that are components of the NASA's CCDev (Commercial Crew Development) program. In a little while, the SpaceX capsule will be useful in ferrying cargos and other supplies into the International Space Stations (Gerard & Jefferson, 1998).

Leadership and Guidance

Most of the space flight companies are under the championship and leadership private sectors and/or individuals. In rare cases, the government may intervene in the activities of these companies only for certain basic regulations or for political influences. For instance, the United Launch had been striving to use regulatory and political influences in order to bar stiff competitions from SpaceX. They also tried to obtain media stories that can help focus on the SpaceX's safety concerns, and use traditional approaches to argue against its activities.

One of the most famous space agencies is the NASA (international aeronautics and space administration) founded in 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act (Broz, 1985). NASA is an agency of the American government that is responsible for the national space programs and aeronautic research. Its core technological contributor at the time of its inception was from the rocket technology and equipment seized from the Germans after the Second World War. According to Broz (1985), NASA's first plan for human space exploration was "Project Mercury" in 1961. Perhaps one of the most ambitious projects by NASA regarded as the major achievement for humanity was in 1969; the Apollo Project that sent the U.S. astronauts to land on the moon surface. Buzz Adrian and Neil Armstrong thereby became the first humans to set foot on the moon. However, NASA suddenly stopped sending astronauts to the moon, and no one has ever set foot on the moon since 1972. After the cessation of the Apollo missions, NASA began putting much focus on the cost-effective ways of taking astronauts to space with an aim of performing experiments, launching, and repairing satellites in the earth's orbit. NASA thereby developed a reusable space vehicle "Space Shuttle," which could carry more number of the crew into the space than before (Bono, 1973).

Business Implications

Following the future expectations of advanced air travel, Paramount Business Jets gets much excited and always look forward to innovative ideas, which can propel the activities and/or the progress/success of the spaceflight industry. With the introduction of new technologies and faster motors, private transportation will soon extend further out past the earth's atmosphere and deep into the space (Muller, 2008). The launching phase of this new fascinating age of transportation is already moving to the peak. For instance, the Paramount Business Jets currently involve in research for the first stage of this ground breaking space industrial revolution.

In three decades to come, this leading edge of travel (space tourism) shall move on to a round business offering trips for stay within the space hotels; both lunar surface and lunar orbital hotels, serviced by scheduled daily flights. One of the space flight companies aiming at offering the first hotel services in space in about 15 years is the Bigelow Aerospace. Meaning, by 2030 the world's lunar tourism would be holding at least two hotels within the lunar orbit, and more than two on the lunar surface (Muller, 2008). Some of the likely sites for holding such services include the lunar poles where water could be readily accessible and available. Consequently, the Hilton International quoted a discovery of usable water on the lunar surface. It thereby plans to establish the first Lunar Hilton in about 1 to 2 decades. Perhaps, the orbital hotel accommodation might provide for about eighty hotels with approximately 250 bed spaces in each hotel (Muller, 2008). This implies that such hotels may necessitate some Spacelab-type structural modules, as well as other larger modules, such as the external space shuttle tanks that are convertible.

Conclusion

In conclusion, space tourism, which is an expensive venture that is exciting, stunning, adventurous, and relatively remains the least exploited phenomena in the world history. However, over the past few decades, the general perception about space tourism has been changing yearly. This leads to developments that are in compliance with the supportive space tourism study programs within lots of countries. As a result, there have been improvements in the technological and/or manufacturing activities targeting the advancement of space vehicle manufacturing, as well as furthering the developments within the space flight industry. These growing technologies have also opened up new plans for space accommodation on the lunar orbits.