Space Adventures Charters Entire Russian Spacecraft

Now Space Adventures has upped the ante by buying not just one seat aboard one of the expendable Soyuz spacecraft that have been the mainstay of the Russian space program since the 1960s, but an entire flight. A professional Russian cosmonaut will command the flight for two ticket-paying passengers some time in late 2011.

From then on, Space Adventures plans to fly one charter flight to the International Space Station a year through the station's operational life. RKA will add new spaceships to its manifest rather than bumping existing flights, such as those that might have to be used by NASA after the Space Shuttle retires in 2010.

Selling individual seats on an ISS-bound Soyuz is one thing, but a fully tourist flight is quite another. If the Russians are willing to take this step, it's only a small step from there to Soyuz flights to Bigelow space hotels...

Posted by T.L. James on June 15, 2008 05:42 PM | TrackBack