Russian Space Hotel

Russia, already the leader in space tourism, has plans to build a new space station focused on tourists, scientists, and engineers.

Construction is set to begin in 2012 or 2013.

[Gizmodo]

Global Warming Strikes Mars

Earth isn't the only planet heating up. Recent data about the climate on Mars shows that the red planet is getting warmer too.

In 2005 data from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey missions revealed that the carbon dioxide "ice caps" near Mars's south pole had been diminishing for three summers in a row.

Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, says the Mars data is evidence that the current global warming on Earth is being caused by changes in the sun.

"The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars," he said.

Where is the Martian Al Gore? Because he needs to get to work.

[NatGeo]

Space Tourism Not Far Off

The private space race adds a new entrant, the bargain basement Space Adventures. For a mere $102,000, half the price of a trip on SpaceShipTwo, you can blast off 62 miles into the sky in a real rocket.

The project is a partnership between Space Adventures and reusable rocket powered vehicle manufacturer Armadillo Aerospace.

[via Gizmodo]

The New Space Race Begins

A new company has thrown their hat into the space tourism ring: Dassault.

Following the trail of SpaceShipTwo, Dassault has been working on a new suborbital civilian spacecraft. Not to be confused with the Future High-Altitude High-Speed Transport 20XX, the new aircraft could be a 11-ton vehicle derived from their VEHRA satellite launcher.

VEHRA and VSH—the name of the new civilian vehicle—are both air launched, and "based on the X-38 experimental lifting body from NASA, for which Dassault Aviation had defined the shape." While VEHRA will have heavy versions capable of putting a 7-ton payload in low orbit, VSH is only designed to bring tourists into the edge of space, flying at Mach 3.5.

The VSH is still very early in development, but by the time it flies, SpaceShipTwo should have already made its maiden voyage.

This could be the start of something big.

Air Force Tests New Space Plane

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle was launched today at Cape Canaveral, and was propelled into orbit by an Atlas V rocket motor, which is typically used to launch satellites.

Built by Boeing Co.'s Phantom Works, the X-37 is much smaller than the space shuttle, but it's ultimate purpose is unknown, as the Air Force has been very quiet about it.

However, the ultimate purpose of the X-37B and details about the craft have longed remained a mystery, though experts said the spacecraft was intended to speed up development of combat-support systems and weapons systems.

"This launch helps ensure that our warfighters will be provided the capabilities they need in the future," Col. Andre Lovett, a launch official and vice commander of the Air Force's 45th Space Wing, said in Thursday's statement.

The new space plane cost hundreds of millions to develop, let us hope that money was not wasted on yet another military boondoggle.

Virgin Galactic Tests SpaceShipTwo

MOJAVE SPACEPORT - Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic began initial testing today of the VSS Enterprise (center) as carried by the propeller jet powered WhiteKnightTwo. The Enterprise is a SpaceShipTwo class space plane built by Scaled Composites, winners of the 2004 X-Prize for a reusable space plane, SpaceShipOne.

More pictures at Gizmodo.

As there has been no date specified for the first commercial flight, I assume testing will continue until they are sure the plane is absolutely safe for their first customers, as their entire business hinges on it.

Good luck, guys.

A Little Perspective

Disgusting Amount of Wealth Launches Mankind into Space

Recently, Sir Richard Branson has put his ridiculous wealth to a most laudable goal: space travel. His latest company, Virgin Galactic, plans to fly people into space and back again for a paltry 122,000 British pounds, or approximately $200,000. He unveiled his spacecraft, SpaceShipTwo, last week.

SpaceShipTwo, the descendant of 2004's SpaceShipOne which won the X-Prize for the first private human space flight, flies to 52,000 ft (16 km) while strapped to an airplane, then releases and uses rockets to zoom out of the atmosphere to an altitude of 110km.

SpaceShipTwo can hold 2 pilots and 6 passengers, and its trajectory allows for about 6 minutes of weightlessness for those onboard before returning to Earth.

Though the flight is short, 300 passengers have already bought their tickets, while thousands more have expressed their interest.

Many of my friends on the Left seem to believe that the uber rich should be taxed at a far higher rate than your average person. While such a system may take the tax burden off of the working man, it must be weighed against the opportunity cost of lost investment. Wealthy people often make their wealth by investing wisely in things other people want, thereby using their obscene amount of money to provide for the needs and wants of their fellow man, at a small profit of course.

Branson's Virgin Galactic is a great example of how wealthy private citizens can use their ridiculous wealth to benefit mankind by pushing the boundaries of science and technology. If a person like Branson is taxed too heavily by his government, then he will not be able to make the $400 million investment needed to get a project like this off the ground, and humanity will have to wait until the government deems it feasible to take on space travel again, which considering our budget problems will not happen any time soon.

But this brings me to my next point, the point at which I must applaud our government's decision to practically starve NASA for funding. Initially, I was for increasing funding for space projects, but upon reflection I see the change I want happening before my eyes. When the government fails, the private market comes in to give people what they want. And people want space travel.

The government space program peaked in the late-60s, early-70s with the Apollo Program and the moon landings. Since then, there has been very little progress in this domain by NASA. Sure, we have the ISS, but we've stopped moving the ball forward.

While SpaceShipTwo is still early in the testing phase, SpaceShipOne stands as a proof of concept, that private entrepreneurs can and will take humanity into space, assuming they aren't taxed out of trying.