OLDER STORIES
- Kistler Salutes Walter Kistler and Bob Citron
- NASA challenged to study SPS
- From Moonwalker to Professional Hawker
- Space Resource industry gains new player
- House Subcomittee discusses energy from space
- Highest Flight
- Hotel Mir
- Hoteliers Discuss Hotel in Orbit
- NASA Report on Space Tourism to be Published in January
- SPS 2000 Receives New Grant
- Sub-orbital, then Orbital!
- Remote Sensing no panacea
- Space Frontier Conference VI Opens Space for Business
- NASA debates shuttle privatization
- World Tourism Organisation sees stars
- 29 July 2012
- Added "Space Debris and Its Mitigation
" to the archive.
- 16 July 2012
- Space Future has been on something of a hiatus of late. With the concept of Space Tourism steadily increasing in acceptance, and the advances of commercial space, much of our purpose could be said to be achieved. But this industry is still nascent, and there's much to do. So...watch this space.
- 9 December 2010
- Updated "What the Growth of a Space Tourism Industry Could Contribute to Employment, Economic Growth, Environmental Protection, Education, Culture and World Peace
- 7 December 2008
- "What the Growth of a Space Tourism Industry Could Contribute to Employment, Economic Growth, Environmental Protection, Education, Culture and World Peace
- 30 November 2008
- Added Lynx
to the Vehicle Designs page.
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Media / Other (None)
3 March 1998 by
Platforms International Corporation Joins the Growing List of Private Launchers
A new commercial launch contender, Platforms International Corporation, has just put out a press release announcing their new space division. It was mentioned in Yahoo's Business Wire:
News / Other (None)
1 March 1998 by Sam Coniglio
Newsweek, Fortune, Popular Science Introduce the Entrepreneurs to the Public
The proverbial cat is out of the bag. After years of struggling to get recognition, the new space entrepreneurs are getting serious coverage in the mainstream press.
The December 29 issue of Newsweek looked at "The New Celestial Capitalists." Focusing on the business side of space, the article discussed the new opportunities that are changing the frontier. Jim Benson's SpaceDev
was showcased as a 21st century gold rush: exploring and claiming near Earth asteroids. Low cost satellite launch and fast package delivery were represented by Kistler Aerospace and Rotary Rocket Company. Space Tourism was represented by Interglobal Space Lines, LunaCorp, and Zegrahm Space Voyages. From the article's perspective, all of these new initiatives spring from the assumption that NASA no longer wants to deal with mundane space operations. As an example, the cost savings that SpaceHab gives to the space shuttle program was compared to the old SpaceLab: $185 million per module versus $1.2 billion.
The February 2 issue of Fortune, normally a conservative magazine, discussed how the new space companies are being formed to deal with the glut of data communication satellites that need to be launched. The X-33 and Lockheed Martin's Venture Star vehicles were discussed. The article then pointed out that even with NASA support, no Venture Stars will be ready to fly by 2001, when several of the competitors will already be operational. Kelly Space & Technology, Kistler Aerospace, Pioneer Rocketplane, and Rotary Rocket Company were mentioned in the article.
Finally, the February issue of Popular Science had the most extensive coverage of the three magazines. The article included several excellent computer images of the best known vehicles. Plugging names such as Tom Clancy, Burt Rutan,
Buzz Aldrin, and Pete Conrad, the article did its best to show how serious these companies are. As well as the companies mentioned in the other articles, Space Access was also reviewed. The story of Federal Express' founder Fred Smith offer to put money into a hypersonic cargo plane was discussed, as well as the U.S. Air Force's attempts to build a reusable space plane. The X Prize got a good plug as a side bar article.
The secret is out. The general public is beginning to hear stories of these amazing flying machines. Now with Senator John Glenn getting a ride on the space shuttle, it will not be long before people will start demanding a ride into orbit.
Sources:
The December 29 issue of Newsweek
looked at "The New Celestial Capitalists." Focusing on the business side of space, the article discussed the new opportunities that are changing the frontier. Jim Benson's SpaceDev was showcased as a 21st century gold rush: exploring and claiming near Earth asteroids. Low cost satellite launch and fast package delivery were represented by Kistler Aerospace and Rotary Rocket Company. Space Tourism was represented by Interglobal Space Lines, LunaCorp, and Zegrahm Space Voyages. From the article's perspective, all of these new initiatives spring from the assumption that NASA no longer wants to deal with mundane space operations. As an example, the cost savings that SpaceHab gives to the space shuttle program was compared to the old SpaceLab: $185 million per module versus $1.2 billion.The February 2 issue of Fortune, normally a conservative magazine, discussed how the new space companies are being formed to deal with the glut of data communication satellites that need to be launched. The X-33
and Lockheed Martin's Venture Star vehicles were discussed. The article then pointed out that even with NASA support, no Venture Stars will be ready to fly by 2001, when several of the competitors will already be operational. Kelly Space & Technology, Kistler Aerospace, Pioneer Rocketplane, and Rotary Rocket Company were mentioned in the article.Finally, the February issue of Popular Science had the most extensive coverage of the three magazines. The article included several excellent computer images of the best known vehicles. Plugging names such as Tom Clancy, Burt Rutan
,
Buzz Aldrin, and Pete Conrad, the article did its best to show how serious these companies are. As well as the companies mentioned in the other articles, Space Access was also reviewed. The story of Federal Express' founder Fred Smith offer to put money into a hypersonic cargo plane was discussed, as well as the U.S. Air Force's attempts to build a reusable space plane. The X Prize got a good plug as a side bar article.The secret is out. The general public is beginning to hear stories of these amazing flying machines. Now with Senator John Glenn getting a ride on the space shuttle, it will not be long before people will start demanding a ride into orbit.
Sources:
- Begley, Sharon, and Weingarten, Tara. "The New Celestial Capitalists."
Newsweek
- Schonfeld, Erick. "Blasting Off the Cheap Way." Fortune. Feb. 2, 1998. pp. 140-141.
- Sweetman, Bill. "Rocket Planes." Popular Science. Feb. 1998. pp.40-45.
Media / Other (None)
25 February 1998 by
ABC News ran this interesting article on space entreprenuers:
News / Other (None)
24 February 1998 by Sam Coniglio
Payloads, Launch Capacity Discussed
/ Other (None)
21 February 1998 by Patrick Collins
France joins USA, Germany and Britain - leaving only Japan continuing
The "Superphoenix" power plant, a 1240 MW sodium-cooled "fast breeder" nuclear reactor near Lyons in France, is to be closed after a very expensive and unsuccessful life. Construction started in December 1974; it operated at full power for the first time in December 1986; and since then it operated for only six months in total, being used finally for research.
Media / Other (None)
21 February 1998 by Patrick Collins
The "unthinkable" gradually enters the mainstream
Until recently pointedly ignored by the "space establishment", the subject of space tourism continues to get discussed more and more seriously and frequently. In the February 9-15 issue of
Space News it appeared in two separate articles.
it appeared in two separate articles. Media / Other (None)
19 February 1998 by Peter Wainwright
T3 Magazine is the latest mainstream magazine to cover Space Tourism
The stream of space vehicle and tourism coverage in the media continues into 1998. The March edition of "T3", a UK technology oriented magazine, features a 5 page article on Space Tourism, concentrating both the problems with the existing space programme in general and NASA in particular, and on the commercial sector, focusing on the companies Bristol Spaceplanes and Zegrahm Space Voyages. Honorable mentions also go to Kelly Space technology, Kistler Aerospace and Rotary Rocket.
in particular, and on the commercial sector, focusing on the companies Bristol Spaceplanes and Zegrahm Space Voyages. Honorable mentions also go to Kelly Space technology, Kistler Aerospace and Rotary Rocket. Media / Other (None)
13 February 1998 by Patrick Collins
Japanese newspaper covers space tourism
TV star Akiko Hinagata was given an out-of-this-world birthday present. During a televised celebration, her friends reserved a seat for her on the "space cruiser," a craft that could become the first private passenger vessel in space.
News / Other (None)
7 February 1998 by Patrick Collins
Space flight by 76 year-old Senator will show that anyone can go
NASA has announced that Senator John Glenn (D Idaho), the first US citizen to orbit the Earth (in 1962) will fly on board the space shuttle in late 1998. Scepticism has been expressed about claims that this will be useful for research on ageing, and it is acknowledged that his case is exceptional. (There's a long queue of other ex-astronauts who'd like a flight!)
has announced that Senator John Glenn (D Idaho), the first US citizen to orbit the Earth (in 1962) will fly on board the space shuttle in late 1998. Scepticism has been expressed about claims that this will be useful for research on ageing, and it is acknowledged that his case is exceptional. (There's a long queue of other ex-astronauts who'd like a flight!) News / Other (None)
6 February 1998 by Patrick Collins
Publication of Joint NASA/STA Research on Space Tourism Delayed
A joint press conference by NASA and the Space Transportation Association (STA) was planned for January 21st at the Press Club, Washington DC, and publicised in the STA Newsletter. However it was cancelled by NASA at the last minute, and a new date has yet to be announced.
and the Space Transportation Association (STA) was planned for January 21st at the Press Club, Washington DC, and publicised in the STA Newsletter. However it was cancelled by NASA at the last minute, and a new date has yet to be announced. 
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