Space Tourism From Dream To Reality

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY Summer Session Program 2000

© INTERNATIONAL SPACE UNIVERSITY, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Valparaiso, Chile Acknowledgements

Co-Chairs: The 2000 Summer Session of the International Space University was hosted by Angie Bukley the Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria in Valparaiso, Chile. This was ISU's first Wendell Mendell time in the southern hemisphere, and thus the first ISU Winter Session. Teaching Assistant: The cover depicts the Earth as seen from the Maryann Brent eyes of the first space tourists. It is at once awe-inspiring, beautiful, and at least for now- it Faculty/TA’s/Staff: is our home. A student's spacecraft blueprint represents the dreams of tomorrow, the Sheila Bailey dreams we continually strive for. On the back cover, a painting depicts the elegance and Victor Bensimhon romance of love with no bounds.

Lin Burke Shuxing Feng created the title, “From Dream to Reality.” It is a reference to the dream in Li-Te Cheng China of travelling to the Moon to visit the mystical princess who according to Chinese Patrick Collins folk tales lives there.

Daniel Glover Back Cover Art, Copyright 1984 by Pamela Lee, from the book, “Out of the Cradle,” by Doug Hamilton William Hartman, Ron Miller & Pamela Lee, Workman Publishing, New York, 1984. Henry Hertzfeld Cover Design by Patricia Garner. Tarik Kaya Spacecraft sketch courtesy of Li-TeCheng. Gregg Maryniak Cover photo courtesy of NASA. Kristian Pauly Some images on page 5 and 8, Courtesy of Roy Nakagawa X-Prize Foundation. All other images courtesy of NASA. Nikolai Tolyarenko Additional copies of the Final Report or the Marleen Van Mierlo Executive Summary for this project may be ordered from the International Space Gudrun Weinwurm University (ISU) Headquarters. The Executive Summary also can be found on the ISU And all the others who gave us their website. help and moral support. International Space University Thank you all of the Faculty/TA’s Strasbourg Central Campus who helped and gave moral support. Attention: Publications Parc d'Innovation Boulevard Gonthier d'Andernach 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden FRANCE Tel:+33(0)388655430 Fax: +33 (0)3 88 65 54 47 Http://www.isunet.edu

Space Tourism : From Dream To Reality· 1 INTERNATIONAL R SPACE UNIVERSITY

Authors Summer Session Program 2000 Valparaiso, Chile

Weng Ang - UK Olaf Appel - GERMANY Brain Arenare - USA Yanqiang Bai - CHINA Bertrand Beaud - FRANCE Thomas Berger - AUSTRIA Philippos Beveratos - GREECE Torsten Bondo - DENMARK Barry Cayen - CANADA Kimberly Cyr - USA Frederico De Faria Elsner - BRAZIL Frans Doejaaren - THE NETHERLANDS Katia Dyrda - CANADA Shuxing Feng - CHINA José Luis Flores Martin - SPAIN Patricia Garner - UK Patrizio Graziano - ITALY Alina Hale - UK Felipe Hernandez - CHILE Loretta Hidalgo - USA Tomohiro Ichikawa - JAPAN Arif Janjua - CANADA Hiroshi Kawabe - JAPAN Shane Kemper - USA Jan-Albert Koekemoer - SOUTH AFRICA Raffi Kuyumjian - CANADA Pierre Lenhardt - FRANCE Guanghua Luo - CHINA José Mariano López Urdiales - SPAIN Keiko Minagawa - JAPAN Henrik Norin - SWEDEN Niall O´Byrnes - IRELAND Valerio Raganelli - ITALY Vemund Reggestad - NORWAY Michiel Rodenhuis - THE NETHERLANDS Steffen Scharfenberg - GERMANY Anja Strømme - NORWAY Aslll P nar Tan - TURKEY Elaine Tan - CANADA Caroline Tomas - FRANCE Michel Van Pelt - THE NETHERLANDS “Somewhere, Doinita Magdalena Voica - AUSTRIA Bin Wu - CHINA something incredible is waiting to be known.”

-Carl Sagan

Summer Session Program 2000 - Valparaiso, Chile· 2 World of Space Tourism

Space Tourism : From Dream To Reality· 3 Introduction

Over the course of human history there has always been a strong desire to travel and explore. During the recent decades people have ventured to the last remote areas on Earth. For the adventure tourist of tomorrow, space is the natural next step. For others, travelling into space is a dream in itself.

Our mission is to expand opportunities for humans to experience space by proposing a framework for tourism that is enduring, evolutionary and open to all.

Why is this important? Bringing a heightened sense of unity and environmental awareness to the general public, politicians and business leaders may help all create a better world back home. On an even more basic level, the beauty of space inspires us, as images from the moon, from space station MIR and the Shuttle already have. As more space farers share their experiences from the new frontier they will inspire a generation to reach for their dreams just as we were inspired to reach for ours.

The era of public space travel is approaching faster than most people think, driven by the human desire for adventure, travel and fun, and the economic motivation for creating a space tourism industry. Before this will happen, advancements in engineering, law and policy, and medicine must be made, as well as considering the issues involved in business and management. Public awareness of the possibility must be increased and worldwide excitement about space generated in order to make space tourism a reality .

This document summarises the main findings from the areas mentioned above that run through each evolutionary stage of space tourism: " Current space tourism activities " Pre-orbital space tourism activities " Low Earth Orbital (LEO) space tourism covering LEO flights and facilities - the focus of the project " Future visions of space tourism

The beauty of the cosmos continually inspires wonder and curiosity. Throughout history, space has provided humanity with both practical benefits and fertile grounds for the imagination… Together with future generations, we will be the next explorers to unravel the mysteries of the universe

- United Nations

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it”

- Alan Kay

Summer Session Program 2000 - Valparaiso, Chile· 4 Client

What are the dreams and needs of future fighters. From this altitude the curvature of space travelers? Who will they be? Where Earth can be seen. Flying a jet aircraft in a will they go? parabolic trajectory generates a microgravity environment that can be enjoyed by the Current space related activities passengers for up to 30 seconds per loop.

Currently several possibilities exist for Near term space tourism humans to start fulfilling their dreams about space. Only a few have enjoyed the ultimate Sub-orbital flights are expected in the near thrill of being in space, yet there are ways to future. These flights will take people to the prepare people through simulations for this edge of space and offer the thrill of real space upcoming adventure. flight for the first time. They will provide the excitement of feeling weightless, the view of Earth below, and reaching the magic 100km mark.

High altitude balloons may also be a way to include a wider range of clients, offering a longer stay in the upper atmosphere.

Tourism in Earth Orbit

Going into space will be a memory that will last Neutral Buoyancy Hydro Lab a lifetime. A visit to a cosmonaut-training center or to a To look at Earth from above is a wonderful space camp gives the traveler the opportunity dream and also one of the most impressive to experience many activities related to space experiences cosmonauts/astronauts have on and space exploration. their spaceflights. During a stay in Earth orbit, travellers will enjoy views of the Earth, the They can get the feeling of varying g-forces, stars and the Moon. similar to lift off and re-entry using huge centrifuges. In a Neutral Buoyancy Hydro Lab they can float in an environment similar to true weightlessness.

It is possible to fly up to Mach 2.5 and to reach altitudes of up to 25 km with Russian jet

Zero g during a parabolic flight View from the Space Shuttle

Space Tourism : From Dream To Reality· 5 Microgravity will provide a huge “playspace” Future Space Tourism for performing sports, games, weddings and experiments. Passengers will be able to For the future space tourist Low Earth Orbit conduct scientific studies, and thus become will not be a limit anymore. Space hotels with involved in the daily work of the cosmonauts microgravity swimming pools and cruises to and astronauts. This will raise their the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies understanding and awareness of the will be possible. Going into Outer Space will usefulness of space. not be just a dream anymore: it will become reality. According to surveys conducted on the needs and interests of travelers, the preferred duration time for a space flight ranges from 2 days to one week.

There should also be enough space inside the craft to satisfy the needs of the clients in terms of privacy and entertainment. This required volume strongly depends on the flight duration. Future holidays on Mars Well-equipped sleeping quarters as well as client-oriented hygienic facilities have to be provided for long duration flights.

To be able to provide all these different experiences and a comfortable environment for the travelers implies the need for an orbital entertainment and recreation facility.

The “pale blue dot” Earth looks so fragile and inspiring. The idea of “us” and “them” breaks down and only the overwhelming sense of “we” is left… a small planet united, floating in the cold harshness of space.

“Sure it is expensive… ...but what is the cost of an unfulfilled dream ?”

- Mike Saemisch

Summer Session Program 2000 - Valparaiso, Chile· 6 Engineering

The future possibility of space tourism is failed twice in sequence. Development is relatively promising, given the current state of currently on hold. (Japan) technology for human spaceflight. Shenzhou: This is the unmanned test capsule in the development of a manned capsule Current Space Technology under the name Project 921. It carried a dummy passenger and returned safely after Currently, there are only two launch vehicles completing 14 orbits. Currently, a manned in operation that can carry humans into space: flight is planned after a second unmanned the Space Shuttle and the Soyuz, operated by flight. (China) NASA and Russian Space Agency, respectively. Both are mainly used for LEO There are some other launch vehicles, such as missions. Ariane 5, Titan, and Proton, which are not developed for manned flights but which may possibly be modified to accommodate humans.

Currently, liquid rocket propellant systems have an advantage over other types of chemical combustion, such that they have the highest achievable performance and can be operated during all phases of the flight. Solid Shuttle Soyuz rocket propellants are still used (mainly for lift- off) because of their high thrust. For space The Space Shuttle consists of a reusable tourism, the use of solid propellant rockets will orbiter with two recoverable and reusable probably not be an option because of the fact solid rocket boosters and an expendable that they cannot be turned off. The relatively external tank. It can carry a crew of eight high risk involved in the use of these systems people, but in case of an emergency it can is not acceptable. carry two more. The current launch site is Kennedy Space Centre. The shuttle orbiter Near-Term Technology Options lands as an aeroplane, and can therefore be landed at airports. Two types of technologies, with further development, may be used to achieve space Soyuz has three stages, and can carry up to tourism in the Earth's outer atmosphere, within three people into orbit. The current launch site the coming five to ten years. These are: is Baikonur. The Soyuz capsule descends with parachutes and lands on land. 1. High-altitude manned balloons 2. Sub-orbital flight technologies There are also some other vehicles developed for transporting humans to space, The proposed concept for high-altitude but which are not used now: passenger-carrying balloons is to use them to lift a pressurized capsule carrying three people Buran: Designed and built to carry two to four to the stratosphere at about 40 to 50 km crew. Only five Buran Shuttles were built. It altitude. The air density at this level is 0.3% of was cancelled due to lack of funds. (Russia) the air density at sea level, which gives a view Hermes: Designed to be launched on an of a black sky together with the stars, even in expendable Ariane 5 booster, to carry three daytime. Moreover, the Earth´s curvature is crew up to 800 km orbit, on missions of 30 to clearly visible underneath, with a field of view 90 days. Although much technology was of about 1400 km diameter. The balloon would developed, it was cancelled due to political stay aloft for several hours. The navigation and financial reasons. (ESA) system would use GPS to position the craft. HOPE-X: Intended to be a small unmanned The descent would be performed by re-entry vehicle to be launched by H-IIA, the separation of the pressurized capsule from the H-IIA Orbiting Plane Experimental (HOPE-X) balloon, at which time the capsule would start free-falling. During the initial phase of the

Space Tourism : From Dream To Reality· 7 descent, the capsule will fall through a region where the atmosphere is very thin, providing about 30 seconds of microgravity before atmospheric drag starts to decelerate the capsule significantly. The capsule should also have life support and descent-recovery systems as well as carrying a telescope for entertainment purposes.

The other option proposed for near-term space tourism is a two-hour duration sub- orbital flight, reaching altitudes of 80 to 100 km. This option would also provide the Pathfinder experience of weightlessness, Earth sightseeing from high up above, as well as a vehicle taking tourists to orbit and back or to sense of being in space. have a transport flying passengers to an orbital facility and returning them after their The vehicle to be used can be one that is built stay ends. In the first case, the vehicle would to meet the X-Prize requirements. The X- need to be equipped with all necessary Prize is a privately funded competition that is amenities for the passengers during the encouraging the building of a vehicle capable flight, whereas in the second case these of taking three passengers to an altitude of could be located at the facility, making the 100 km and repeating the trip within 2 weeks. transport a small and light vehicle. One proposed vehicle is the Pathfinder rocket plane, which is a fighter-bomber-sized aircraft The trade-off is between saving on the that can eject a recurrent launch payload in its upper Orbital Tourism Vehicle costs by using a stage to LEO. The Docking facility containing to Orbital No Docking payload system is Facility amenities against suitable for the higher initial development to carry launch costs to put a capsule of three SSTOTSTO SSTO TSTO the facility into orbit. passengers. As the The number of flight is short (less flights per year and than 2 hours), only a Air Breathing v. Rocket engines the length of the stay basic life support in orbit are important system needs to be Horizontal v. Vertical takeoff drivers affecting this designed to supply choice. the manned capsule. Furthermore, the Horizontal v. Vertical landing The second choice passengers will need is the number of to wear spacesuits. Configuration tree for an stages. Two Stages Pathfinder will take- orbital tourism vehicle. To Orbit (TSTO) off and land at an vehicles would have airport just like an aircraft. This means that a higher payload fraction but suffers from the available ground infrastructure for air higher complexity from vehicle mating. Single “Problems...look transport can be used with minor additions. Stage To Orbit (SSTO) vehicles would have mighty small simplified operations and logistics offering from 150 miles faster turnaround times and hence lower Orbital Space Tourism up.” Technologies costs but would require the development of advanced materials. There are a number of concepts to deliver -Roger B The third choice is between air breathing tourists to orbit and return them safely to Chaffee engines and rocket engines. The former Earth. The first choice is whether to have a (US astronaut)

Summer Session Program 2000 - Valparaiso, Chile· 8 offers higher payload mass fractions but There are 3 choices for the level of autonomy suffers from higher complexity. The latter used on the space vehicle. A crewed vehicle offers higher thrust levels. would incur high costs due to the number of crews needed for frequent flights. The last 2 choices concern the use of either Alternatively, a crewless vehicle would save horizontal or vertical orientation for both take- money but would require preparation and / or off and landing. Vertical launching will simplify selection of the passengers. The last the vehicle structure, as there is no lifting alternative is an automated vehicle that has a surface, adding to payload capacity. trained professional who would be responsible Horizontal launching will improve the safety for the safety and comfort of the passengers as engine failures can be managed by gliding but would not control the vehicle. to an alternative landing site assuming a large cross-range capability. In addition, the vehicle A public space transport vehicle would need to will be able to fly in more varied weather meet safety requirements similar to those for conditions, reducing the number of cancelled commercial aircraft. In particular, the reliability flights, which will improve its market potential. of the engines must be improved compared with current crewed vehicles. It will be difficult It is expected that many customers will want to but necessary to ensure a rate of 1 in-flight- view their home country. Since most of them shutdown (IFSD) per 20,000 hours flight time. will come from North America, Europe and The launch vehicle design must avoid the need Asia, it is necessary to choose a highly for frequent unplanned long-duration inclined orbit. However, high inclination orbits maintenance periods which would make experience higher levels of space debris and orbital trips less attractive. radiation. The ISS has an inclination of 52 degrees. This gives a ground track that covers Future launch facilities for reusable launch the USA, Japan, South America and Australia vehicles will require more optimal launch very well. Northern Europe and Canada are operations than current sites. A flight centre hardly covered, but this might have to be that services and launches the vehicle from the sacrificed for safety. At 50 degrees, the flux of same location is preferable, as is planned for space debris is much less, but the radiation in the X-33. Launch operations should be highly the South Atlantic Anomaly will still be a automated which will reduce costs. Future problem to deal with. The development of spaceports should have similar facilities to more accurate predictions to avoid solar airports with infrastructure to handle take-off & particle events is preferred to the use of landing, maintenance & parking, refuelling, extensive shielding. However, risks to tourists traffic control, and handling of passengers, may be minimised by only having trips during luggage & cargo. periods of low solar activity and avoiding travel through the radiation belts at an altitude An important issue for ground operations is of 200 km. The orbit altitude has to be whether a vehicle can be processed optimised in terms of the V budget, horizontally or has to be prepared vertically as considering atmospheric drag. with current expendable launchers. Horizontal processing is more convenient and less The probability of serious impact from space labour-intensive: an important factor when the debris is estimated to be approximately 0.6 flight rate is high and the turnaround time must per million flight hours compared with aircraft be kept low. all-causes accident probability of 0.3 per million flight hours. The Space Shuttle The choice of propellant affects operations. typically has to have four windows changed There is experience of handling kerosene at due to space debris damage. To satisfy airports whereas cryogenic propellants such customer requirements, there will be a larger as liquid oxygen require more specialised window area on future passenger space equipment for production and storage. Toxic vehicles than on the Space Shuttle. The need propellants require special handling to replace damaged windows will increase procedures and equipment. turnaround times and maintenance costs.

Space Tourism : From Dream To Reality· 9 A combined Air and Space Traffic Control Future Space Tourism (ASTC) system will need to be set up to Technologies prevent collisions between aircraft and spacecraft during launch, re-entry and landing phases. This could be done by After we have accomplished orbital flights for extending the proposed new Air Traffic tourists around the world and viewed our Control (ATC) system called the Automatic fragile planet from above, the demand from Dependant Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) people is likely to force the market to grow system, enabling aircraft with GPS receivers from orbital flights to interplanetary flight, and to broadcast their position and velocity, to to space hotels in orbit and on planet spacecraft as well as ground control. surfaces. Then, further into the future, we will be able to take lunar cruises and rest at a Future space tourist vehicles will require hotel on the Moon, enjoy cruises of Saturn´s aircraft-like operations to be profitable, rings, observe spectacular active volcanoes needing advances in technology and a on Io, take advantage of package deals different design philosophy governed by available for Mars, and eventually maintainability and operations, rather than experience interstellar travel. development and production optimisation. These futuristic ideas may presently be Tourists will require greater habitable volume beyond our technological knowledge and for comfort and recreation than astronauts ability. The crucial aspect of travel for these have been allocated in the past. The Space vast distances will always be speed. Shuttle External Tank could be re-used to Numerous exotic ideas exist, which range build a space facility. However, orbital from the more realistic to the more maintenance of the external tanks is critical imaginative: ramjets using nuclear and out-gassing of the foam insulation is a propulsion, electric (ion or plasma) concern. The TransHab inflatable module propulsion systems, solar and laser sails, provides almost 3 times as much volume as electromagnetic mass drivers, wormholes, conventional metal volumes after inflation. antimatter energy, etc. There are also other The multi-layer structure gives better issues to be overcome, such as minimizing protection than metal against space debris the deteriorating effects of micro-gravity or and provides good thermal insulation. zero-g on the human systems, and protection of both humans and spacecraft from the solar flares and cosmic radiation. Noise levels inside a tourist facility should be "Circling the below the level currently predicted for the International Space Station (ISS) and must be Space Tourism has been a dream up to now. Earth in the below the standard limit for occupational However difficult, every achievement is a orbital dream at first, and this is a project lighting the noise exposure (85 dB). Ventilation fans spaceship I generate this noise. Hence, quieter fans must path from dream to reality. be developed. Permanent space facilities will marvelled at require better personal hygiene capabilities the beauty of for tourists than those available on the ISS. our planet, Sleeping quarters will require windows. 'People of the The ISS could be used for space tourism world! Let us activities. Examples include communication safeguard and with astronauts, flights to observe the ISS at enhance this distances of several kilometres to tens of kilometres and docking with the ISS with the beauty, not possibility of stays at an additional habitat destroy it!'" module. -Yuri Gagarin, First Human in Space

Summer Session Program 2000 - Valparaiso, Chile· 10 Business & Management

The Market for Space Tourism Although RLV development is the key to substantially reducing the cost of access to Tourism is the world's leading economic space, the high associated costs, significant contributor, producing 10% of the world’s political and technical risk, market gross national product, and is the sector uncertainty, and required long-term generating the greatest amount of tax development timeframes provide major revenues at US$655 billion per year. disincentives to potential private investment. Adventure tourism not directly related to Furthermore, subsequent to the costly space has been rapidly growing in popularity development phase, a reduced ticket price, during the last 2 decades. Space-related as a result of future profitability, is also tourism activities are very important for raising dependent upon the achievement of low public awareness and interest in space operational costs per flight. Uncertainties tourism, thereby increasing the market affecting the feasibility of eventual general potential for actual space tourism. public space travel and tourism business start-ups in the US include: market demand Few companies are currently planning to offer and elasticity; transport vehicle acquisition sub-orbital flights. Space Adventures is taking and operating costs; trip price; reliability and deposits for its $100,000 ticket-price sub- comfort; and insurance and regulatory orbital flights anticipated for years 2002 or burdens. Notional business models suggest 2003. MirCorp is about to launch its first that profitability of eventual large-scale private “ citizen explorer ” for an 8-day stay on service operations will depend on per orbital board the Mir Space Station. Several trip costs that do not exceed $1-2M. companies have concepts for orbital and lunar hotels. Marketing

Once the near-term milestone of making The market for transportation services is publicly accessible orbital flights becomes a driven by customer demand, and innovation reality, many players from related service is similarly driven by potential new demand. industries will enter this new market because The development phase of the project must the initial barrier of Reusable Launch Vehicle start upon completion of the market analysis (RLV) development cost and its high to specify the exact characteristics of the associated risk will no longer exist. Examples final product. At the beginning of operations, of potential entrants include adventure a space tourism business should have an tourism companies, travel agencies, airlines, incremental business plan, starting with ocean cruise line operators, hotel operators, niche markets. From market surveys, data resort companies and theme parks. indicate that many young people, from different cultures, are already prepared to go The economic rationale for the emergence of on very expensive “space adventure trips” at a space tourism industry is founded on two the present time, even though physical risk grounds - one is the stimulation of the space exists. arena by opening a new market for RLVs, and the second is the establishment of a new global service industry. Estimates from market surveys suggest that a ticket price of the order of $50,000 or less is necessary for a space tourism industry to sustain itself. However, we estimate, that based on current technology, a future sub-orbital space trip, carrying two passengers would cost in the order of $550,000 per passenger. Hence, the Percentage of respondents estimated cost is approximately an order of interested in taking a space trip. magnitude greater than the price that a (Abitzsch, 1996) sustainable market will probably accept.

Space Tourism : From Dream To Reality· 11 Since expected initial high ticket prices will Once the viability of the industry is deter much of the general public, it is established, it is anticipated that the credit advisable for initial competitors in the space risk of initial competitors will follow that of tourism industry to simultaneously target current tourism or airline companies and large corporations as customers as well as shares in them will be publicly traded. young, wealthy, adventurous individuals at the outset. Initially targeting the niche market A stepwise approach is foreseen for X-Prize of young adventure-seekers is of prime competitors, such that once the technology importance because of the higher inherent has been proved, further financing will be risk and the lower comfort levels early more easily secured to build the hardware customers will be expected to accept in that incorporates improvements for exchange for being among the first to explore passenger transport certification. Investors this new frontier. By the time the orbital space will be interested in business plans that flight industry becomes accessible to the rest propose alliances between tour operators of the general public, most people will have and aerospace companies as well as already been introduced to the product evidence of advanced booking from an through secondary promotion by corporate adventurous and excited public. The rate of customers offering sponsorships or tickets as return demanded by investors for space prizes or rewards to their employees or client projects ranges from 20-40% with investors base. usually preferring approximately 20% ownership. A payback period of 3 to 6 years is Financing usually required. Nevertheless, regardless of the expected financial return, a well known Passenger travel services to and from space and credible CEO(Chief Executive Officer) are not available today because government or key member on the board of directors with space agencies are not trying to develop strong space industry recognition will be them. Dramatic advances in propulsion needed to convince investors to examine systems and structures are needed to proposed business plans. achieve the lowest unit cost vehicle that would lead to the development of a large service Future scenarios usually assume the world market. The probable costs to develop these becomes wealthier, and it is expected there systems will be high and government will be a larger market for space tourism with research and development co-investments a wider and more exciting range of products. are needed. Such technology developments However, these products will have to be cost- or demonstrations are either too risky or too effective in order to attract investors and long-term for the private sector to undertake costs musts be balanced by achievable under normal market circumstances. revenues to ensure that these activities are self-sustaining. Several RLV ventures have stalled because of their inability to find investors to complete their development programs. Tax exemptions to support a broad range of innovation should be considered by governments so that all taxpayers will bear the risk as opposed to only the investors. The encouragement and “The future is not enabling of space research for commercial purposes would generate a demand for using something we space, making a presence in space more enter. The future attractive to industry. Auctioning access to is something we space laboratories and transportation would indicate how much the market is willing to pay. create.”

- Leonard I. Sweet.

Summer Session Program 2000 - Valparaiso, Chile· 12 Medical

Space travel for civilian tourists poses medical equipment should be considered for space challenges that are both similar to, and tourism travel. For experiences of three to five different from those faced by astronauts. The days, tourists will require a habitable volume medical care provided by a space tourism greater than the 10 m3 per person offered venture must be tailored to passengers that currently by NASA´s Space Shuttle. To allow are focused on leisure not on a mission. for recreational space, long-term missions will These passengers will not be as well require volumes greater than the 175m3 per prepared, both physically and person predicted for the completed psychologically, as current astronauts. International Space Station.

If an adequate customer base is to be Space motion sickness (SMS) includes maintained, selection standards for space nausea, headache and dizziness and can tourists must be less stringent than for current seriously preclude an enjoyable tourist astronauts. For very short duration sub-orbital experience if not counteracted. Two out of flights, only guidelines similar to those for three astronauts experience SMS during the variable gravity rides (e.g. roller coasters) first hours in space, despite the use of pre-flight may be necessary. For orbital flights, the and in-flight anti-nausea medications such as presence of active disease states scopolamine and promethazine. Preflight (hypertension, heart disease, psychiatric Adaptation Training devices are currently used illnesses and possibly pregnancy) may be to expose astronauts to the disjunctive visual necessary exclusion criteria in order to and vestibular stimuli similar to those decrease the probability of expensive experienced in space. This device may give a evacuation procedures. For the near-term, it head-start to the adaptation process and is likely that space tourists will have to be decrease the severity of SMS in orbit. physically able to perform emergency egress Susceptibility to SMS is difficult to predict and procedures to be accepted for space travel. appears to be independent of provocation during parabolic flights and ground-based Prior to departure, space tourists should training. It is reasonable to anticipate that SMS receive training in CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary will be a concern for civilian space travel lasting Resuscitation) and first aid procedures. For longer than 2 hours. An improvement in the safety reasons, pre-flight training should efficacy of SMS drugs would be a major include coping strategies for feelings of advance in helping increase customer isolation and claustrophobia. Personal satisfaction. hygiene has historically been a source of conflict on long-term missions. The pre-flight The fluid redistribution that occurs during experience should bring all the tourists to spaceflight causes facial puffiness, nasal similar standards before spending extended congestion, and fluid loss. This fluid loss periods of time in the closed quarters of an causes a low blood volume and orthostatic orbiting space facility. Teamwork strategies intolerance (fainting or lightheadedness and issues of multiculturalism should also be caused by upright posture) upon returning part of preflight training since the customer from spaceflight. Orthostatic intolerance is base for space tourism will likely be global. currently counteracted by fluid loading prior to reentry and the use of anti-gravity suits. Future As with current manned space missions, the countermeasures to decrease the fluid space tourist should enjoy a pressurized redistribution may include lower body negative cabin atmosphere with appropriate oxygen pressure suits worn during spaceflight and and carbon dioxide content, and a fail-safe also simulated gravity. system for toxic inhalant removal. As the duration of the space experience lengthens, A minimal reduction in total muscle mass can life support systems should evolve from open- be expected after a space flight of three to five loop to closed-loop designs. Environmental days. These losses occur primarily in the noise, that has recently been a concern for the postural muscles of the lower extremities but International Space Station, will need to be are unlikely to impair the egress of tourists from further decreased for customer satisfaction. the spacecraft in a 1-g environment. The use of quieter fans and other onboard Countermeasures during a stay in space of

Space Tourism : From Dream To Reality· 13 that duration are not medically necessary, but Ground-based flight surgeons currently are recommended to provide a full astronaut- conduct private telemedicine conferences type experience for the tourists and to and assess crew health for the duration of accelerate full recovery after their return to space flight missions. Space tourists will Earth. require augmented support with additional access to ground-based physician In missions of several months, lower specialists, possibly linked via a hospital extremity muscle atrophy of up to 30-40% has network. The capability of transmitting been documented. Bone calcium is lost at a various patient health parameters to the flight rate of 1 to 3% per month. In the far future, surgeon on Earth currently exists. Medical very long-term microgravity exposure for equipment to stabilize an ill or injured crew tourists will require countermeasures for member is currently flown on spaceflights. musculoskeletal degeneration. Current The development of portable diagnostic countermeasures include treadmill running imaging capabilities is recommended. with bungee cords, penguin suits (modified Emergency vehicle should be docked with an spacesuits) and other resistive exercises. orbiting facility to allow for a medical The development of space facilities capable evacuation. In this way, a sick patient need of providing artificial gravity using centrifugal not compromise the trip for the rest of the forces will greatly improve the physical well- passengers. One of the staff members in orbit being of future space travellers. should also have medical training equivalent to a paramedic, in addition to fulfilling other Compared to the typical Space Shuttle orbit of duties for customer satisfaction. 28.5 degrees, higher inclination orbits can traverse areas in which radiation hazards Finally, the day will come when space tourists may be increased during periods of intense will go beyond LEO. Issues related to solar activity. Current countermeasures to radiation protection, long-term physiologic decrease radiation risks are limited to adaptations as well as self-sufficient life predicting solar flares, setting exposure support systems will have to be resolved standards, and radiation monitoring. Some before that can become reality. Psychosocial biologically-active antioxidant compounds dimensions of these activities include the are under investigation. For a mission beyond birth of a new "space culture" that will set LEO, additional spacecraft shielding and apart those who have experienced space onboard capabilities to monitor solar activity travel from those who have not. Many ethical will be required. questions including those pertaining to medical care during interplanetary travel with limited capabilities will have to be raised.

“It's human In-orbit treadmill: a nature to countermeasure to prevent stretch, to go, to bone demineralisation and see, to muscle atrophy understand.

Exploration is not a choice, really; it's an imperative.”

-Michael Collins

Summer Session Program 2000 - Valparaiso, Chile· 14 Policy / Law

Space tourism development is not explicitly However, limited liability is not sufficient and supported by governments. However, if there will never be accepted without guarantees of is a market for space tourism, it is the role of the safety of space tourism flights. For this governments to fund the essential technology purpose, detailed certification and licensing of development that are too long-term and risky the spacecraft will be necessary. Traffic for private undertaking before the private regulations such as launch or re-entry sector is willing to invest. The challenge of a authorisation will have to be defined as well. space tourism policy is to establish the technological and regulatory environment All of the above will enable risk quantification that will encourage private companies to and management for insurance purposes. invest in space tourism and allow commercial ventures to prosper. The expected result is Furthermore, many additional regulations will the lowering of costs and the increase in be necessary including: reliability of access to space. In addition, it is beneficial to policymakers to support space " Adaptation of aviation law to sub- tourism because of the potential economic orbital flight, benefits. " Environmental law, The first part to a space tourism policy is to confirm the market surveys about the public´s " Criminal law or tax law applying in willingness to pay to travel to space and outer space, characterise people´s desire to travel into " Derogation of the Non-appropriation space. We suggest a discussion among Principle of Outer Space, including public, political and space communities orbits and planets. through various media and independent public surveys to raise the awareness of Only after having solved these major political space tourism as a realistic activity. and regulatory challenges will space tourism be able to develop and expand as a self- A second part of a space tourism policy is to sustaining undertaking. create a favourable scientific and technical environment. This policy includes life sciences research, development of low -cost technology, propulsion system improvements, fully reusable launch vehicle development and ground infrastructure studies for space transportation.

Finally, a favourable regulatory system will have to be created. One of the major regulatory barriers to space tourism is the Liability Convention (1971) of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. This treaty states that the launching country is liable to pay compensation for loss of life, injury, or damage to property, resulting from objects launched into space by that country. Therefore, the launching state is entitled to prohibit any private space launch activities. A possible solution would be to adopt a limited amount of compensation regulation, as defined by the Warsaw Convention (1929) for the aviation sector. This has been the main factor enabling the commercialisation of air transport.

Space Tourism : From Dream To Reality· 15 Conclusions

Space tourism is currently at a very pivotal Space tourism is the start of a new era of stage, with the potential to grow rapidly in the exploration and adventure. As we begin to next three to four years. Governmental and experience space for ourselves, we will public interest in space is increasing, as a discover new insights into who we are and our result of millennial generated interest in the place in the universe. In time, space will future. It is also reflected in the growing become accessible to all and humanity’s number of space related tourism activities. vision of itself will evolve as we turn our dream Additionally for some, going into space is no into reality. longer just a dream; it is starting to become a reality.

The gap between the current cost of launches and the cost needed to make space tourism a self-sustaining market must be closed. Today's launch technology is inefficient and complex to operate, and thus very expensive. The current commercial market for launchers is too small to promote the development of new technology. Space tourism has the potential to bring this cost down by creating a new and large market for reusable launch vehicles.

Governments and space agencies should invest in the research and development of reusable, safe and low cost launch vehicles. Private investors will also play a key role. Tourism is the largest existing industry worldwide, and space tourism would be worth the investment even over the long payback period typical for space projects. The development of such a robust industry would benefit space agencies, governments and businesses.

A favorable regulatory system will have to be created. Limiting the amount of compensation required by the Liability Convention of the United Nations may be an important step. Detailed certification, licensing, taxation, and air traffic control procedures for spacecraft will also be necessary.

From a medical perspective, there are no serious barriers for space tourism. The average civilian can safely go to space if she or he meets minimal medical selection criteria “May your future and receives adequate training and be limited only preparation. by your dreams.”

-Christa McAuliffe

Summer Session Program 2000 - Valparaiso, Chile· 16