Private Space Travel

On October 31, 2014. Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo was conducting a test flight. At around 50,000 feet Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo broke apart leaving only one survivor. The investigation is still being ran however, it is believed that the aircraft's feathering mechanism lock/unlock switch was pulled at the wrong time, causing the wings to rip off the aircraft. It is speculated that one of the pilots prematurely pulled the switch, which is meant to be pulled upon decent, causing the accident.

“The 2004 Ansari X Prize called for private sector innovations in the field of manned space exploration. Specifically, participants had to design and manufacture a privately funded
vehicle that could deliver the weight of three people (including one actual person) to suborbital space. The vehicle had to be 80 percent reusable and fly twice within a two-week period.” The Ansari X Prize began the privatization of space flight as companies and people became interested in the possibilities of private space travel. Mojave Aerospace Ventures, Paul G. Allen company, and Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites funded SpaceShipOne and won the X Prize. Virgin Group then licensed Mojave Aerospace Ventures and began development of the second generation of space ships. Virgin Galactic was born and now over 700 people have bought tickets with the hopes of going into space.

With the development of private space flight rules must be made. The FAA has made a number of regulations to govern private space travel but they are very minimal. In a nut shell, the company must provide safety information and inform passengers of any dangers with space travel. The FAA has also established crew notification, environmental protection, and life support regulations. But, will space travel ever become available to the public?

I believe that space travel will become possible and even available to the general public. When aviation first started it was only for the wealthy until with deregulation and the development of better technology, airline companies were able to offer ticket prices at a price the general public could afford. I believe that for the first 30 to 50 years space travel will only be for the wealthy however, after that period technology might evolve to the point where ticket prices will be available to the general public.

The requirements to be an Astronaut are: “a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics, an advanced degree is desirable, quality of academic preparation is important, at least 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft, flight test experience is highly desirable, ability to pass a NASA space physical which is similar to a military or civilian flight physical and includes the following specific standards: distant visual acuity: 20/100 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 each eye, blood pressure: 140/90 measured in a sitting position, height between 62 and 75 inches.” (NASA).

References:

http://www.virgingalactic.com/statement-from-virgin-galactic/

http://www.virgingalactic.com/uploads/141501863048197/original.pdf

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_Astronaut_Requirements.html

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2006-12-15/pdf/E6-21193.pdf