FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Rosanna Turner, 07949 863810, [email protected]

Press Release

Blue Abyss to build Europe’s first spaceflight tourism centre to support the UK’s £40bn ‘Space Race’

UK company Blue Abyss Ltd. plans to build Europe’s first Space environment simulation facility, dedicated to , space exploration and human extreme environment research. The facility will back David Cameron’s hopes of a £40bn share of the global Space market, by preparing tourists for safe Space travel and supporting the research and development needs of the human spaceflight industry.

This week’s Queen’s speech saw the Government announce its ‘Star Trek’ Bill to set ‘the framework for the UK’s first spaceport… paving the way for commercial spaceflight’, just as Blue Abyss Ltd. gears up to secure investment to build the most comprehensive spaceflight training, research and space hardware evaluation facility of its kind globally.

Tailor‐made to serve the fast‐growing human spaceflight market, Blue Abyss will house the world’s largest and deepest indoor pool at 50 m (164 ft) by 40 m (131 ft) by 50 m (164 ft) deep, alongside hyper and hypobaric chambers, and a micro‐gravity simulation suspension system for replicating the effects of weightlessness. The facility will be located on the University of Essex’s Knowledge Gateway site in Colchester.

John Vickers, CEO, Blue Abyss says, “Blue Abyss will be able to fully serve this new and exciting market as the UK establishes itself as Europe’s leading commercial space‐faring nation. Together with our partners, we will offer end‐to‐end ‘ground’ services for Space tourists to safely and effectively prepare them for their once in a lifetime trip.”

Pre‐spaceflight briefing and training will be a necessity for all ‘Space tourists’, whether they touch the edge of space (sub‐orbital) or actually go in to orbit. Travellers will need to prepare for the rigours of launch and return to Earth, and the weightless “microgravity” experienced during spaceflight, just as do. For those who will spend time in orbit, the most effective technique is ‘neutral

Blue Abyss (Diving) Ltd, Constable Building, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Rosanna Turner, 07949 863810, [email protected]

training’. This involves wearing a spacesuit and performing physical tasks whilst being submerged in water.

“We plan to combine training in the pool with additional, cutting‐edge technology never used in this way before. This will offer individuals the most incredible and realistic spaceflight experience before they even leave the ground. The same technique will be used to provide a valuable training tool for Government astronauts preparing for Space missions,” added Dr. Simon Evetts, Managing Director, SeaSpace Research Ltd., a Blue Abyss affiliate.

Rendering of proposed pool ‐ image courtesy of Blue Abyss and Cityscape Digital.

Other spaceflight preparations include parabolic flights, centrifuge training and detailed Space environment courses for individuals going in to orbit, as well as briefings, medicals and simple familiarisation experiences for sub‐orbital customers, all of which Blue Abyss together with its partners will be able to provide.

Blue Abyss (Diving) Ltd, Constable Building, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Rosanna Turner, 07949 863810, [email protected]

Former NASA , 7‐time Spacewalker and Blue Abyss Non‐Executive Director, Dr. Scott Parazynski says, “Blue Abyss is uniquely positioned to provide a pioneering, state‐of‐the‐art facility delivering ‘space‐ready’ humans for flight. Moreover, Blue Abyss will have infinite opportunities to advance new Space and sub‐sea technologies, helping the UK play a key role in the Space and Tech sectors globally.”

Blue Abyss Ltd. is in the final stages of securing investment to build the facility, which is expected to be fully operational in mid‐2018.

‐ Ends ‐

For further information, please contact: Rosanna Turner, Director Marketing Communications, Blue Abyss Mobile: 07949 863810 Email: [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITORS:

MORE ABOUT BLUE ABYSS Blue Abyss will provide state‐of‐the‐art facilities designed to be the world’s leading underwater research and development centre for astronaut and , aimed primarily at the commercial diving, , life science and human spaceflight sectors.

The facility will house the world's largest and deepest indoor pool at approximately 35,000m³ including: a ‘mission control’ style high‐definition video room for pool supervision; hyperbaric and hypobaric chambers and a micro‐gravity simulation suspension system for replicating the effects of weightlessness; and the 'Kuehnegger Human Performance Centre' focusing on human spaceflight research and it's benefits for terrestrial health care. A lecture theatre, six class rooms, an onsite cafeteria, and a boutique hotel will complete the complex.

Blue Abyss also aims to encourage people of all ages and abilities to discover the joys of exploring our marine environments through , as well as providing the UK with an innovative, aquatic‐based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) education centre.

Blue Abyss (Diving) Ltd, Constable Building, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Rosanna Turner, 07949 863810, [email protected]

Blue Abyss will be located in Colchester on the University of Essex’s Knowledge Gateway Business Park. Subject to final investment and build schedule, the facility is expected to be fully operational in mid‐ 2018.

MORE ABOUT SEASPACE RESEARCH SeaSpace Research is a limited company established to commercially exploit the facilities available at Blue Abyss and its associated Research and Development Centre, the ‘Kuehnegger Human Performance Centre’. SeaSpace is establishing ‘The Academic Partnership’ with leading academic universities with an interest in ‘sea to space’ related research. Between SeaSpace and its partners, commercial and government funded R&D projects will be undertaken in fields such as diving, spaceflight, sports science and health care (with an emphasis on rehabilitation from physical deconditioning).

SeaSpace’s vision for a decade from now is for an active and productive world class R&D centre serving a varied and vibrant UK aerospace and extreme environment community ‐ producing IP, products and services that benefit its customers, profits its investors and partners, and positively impacts the UK human spaceflight, terrestrial health care and extreme environment sectors.

Blue Abyss (Diving) Ltd, Constable Building, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ.