If you were to ask your parents if they ever imagined going into outer space as a tourist attraction they would probably laugh and quickly dismiss the thought. Even today in an age of endless possibilities, it would still take some persuading to convince the older, stuck in their ways generation to come around to the thought. Well, its happening and people have already started lining up. The Virgin Group, founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, launch its New Mexico based commercial space-line Virgin Galactic in 2004. Starting a new industry dubbed "Space Tourism" allows Virgin Galactic to write the rules for the space tourism rule book. From making their very own launch vehicle as well as their own suborbital rocket, Virgin Galactic already has 300 anxious civilian-astronauts lined up for the brief $200,000 trip to space.
Virgin Galactic has taken the extra step in providing their customers with the ultimately space-tourism experience. With a shiny new plane and a new fast rocket ready to take people to the edge of earth, the company plans to build space ports in select locations to catch and release their incoming and outgoing astronauts. One which location is planned for Abu Dhabi. A deal last year including the Abu Dhabi investment firm Aabar, sets Abu Dhabi to be a hub for commercial space flights. Aabar Investments, a company partially owned by the Abu Dhabi government, is also set to build spaceport facilities which would add to Virgin Galactics capabilities as well as an addition to the foundation of space tourism.
If you were to ask Sir Richard Branson thirty years ago if he were to ever wander into the territory he is currently in he might have said no, but he would also say anything is possible.
photo credit: http://www.psfk.com
No comments:
Post a Comment