TripAlertz wants to send you to outer space … for free

by McLean Robbins on

TripAlertz, whose launch we covered for you earlier this year, is celebrating their official “grand launch” (what do you call an online grand opening, anyway?) with a chance to win an “Epic Journey into Space”!

You can lift-off with Colonel Rick Searfoss (retired), who is one of only seven astronauts with more than 50 flights in rocket-powered vehicles. The winner can even assign the trip, subject to certain restrictions, as a gift to family, friends or a charity.

“Everyone kept telling us that we needed a launch strategy, so we took it literately,” said founder Brendan Murphy.The Epic Journey into Space is offered via a partnership with XCOR Aerospace, builder of the Lynx Suborbital reusable space plane and provider of rocket technology to leading global companies. Lynx pilot, Colonel Searfoss, has flown the Space Shuttle three times, twice as pilot and once as Commander. His first space flight as pilot in 1993 set the record for the longest duration Space Shuttle mission to date. In 1996, he piloted Atlantis to the Russian space station Mir.

The two-seat Lynx Mark I vehicle takes off horizontally from a runway with a powerful ascent reaching over twice the speed of sound (Mach 2+) on its way to the edge of space. The profound blackness of space, the spectacular view of Earth’s curvature, and 1,600 miles of viewing are unforgettable sights while experiencing weightlessness at apogee.

Using TripAlertz’s collective bargaining model, the TripAlertz Epic Journey into Space Package could be purchased for $95,000, yet as more people purchase, the power of collective buying can drive the price lower for everyone.

Those who purchase the package will also receive a personalized high definition DVD recorded by onboard cameras along with other stellar mementos and specialized pre-flight training at a luxury resort in Arizona.

The TripAlertz Epic Journey into Space includes a five-night stay at the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa during training and preparation, medical evaluation and screening, a cancellation insurance policy, and of course the Lynx flight itself, which promises to be the greatest ride off Earth. A deposit of $20,000 begins the process of assigning each space tourist to the training and qualification program.

The winner of the Free Epic Journey into Space will be drawn live on broadband-streamed television at the TripAlertz Summer Solstice Party on June 21, 2011. To enter, join the site (click here) you’ll automatically receive one entry. To gain additional entries, refer friends – you’ll get one entry for each person who joins.

You’ll also get one entry for every dollar you spend on TripAlertz.

Also, anyone buying an Orlando package during the initial offer period (March 15 – June 21) will receive two tickets to Kennedy Space Center for free and increase their odds of winning.

Correction: 5:50 PM – Thanks to Blogger Stephen Greenwood for pointing out that they’re technically sending you to “space” and not “outer space.”

Virgin Galactic signs deal with scientists for space travel

by Melanie Nayer on

While NASA’s Discovery made its final frontier into space on Friday, Virgin Galactic was inking its own space deal, this time substituting space tourists for scientists.

Southwest Research Institute, a nonprofit research organization, signed a deal with Virgin Galactic to conduct experiments in suborbital space. Two $200,000 tickets aboard the six-passenger SpaceShipTwo will be handed to Southwest scientists, who will conduct various scientific experiments during the flight.

In a statement obtained by Space.com:

“This agreement signals the enormous scientific potential of the Virgin spaceflight system,” Virgin Galactic president and CEO George Whitesides said in a statement. “Science flights will be an important growth area for the company in the years to come, building on the strong commercial success already demonstrated by deposits received from over 400 individuals for Virgin’s space experience.”

While no date for the commercial space flight has been set, the deal is already generating buzz. The scientist experiments onboard Virgin Galactic hold a value of about $1.6 million.

So, what exactly will the scientists be “experimenting”? The agreement will allow scientists to use SpaceShipTwo as a flying laboratory for experiments in weightlessness, biology, astronomy and climate research, officials said.

Alan Stern, one of the scientists who will be on board the flight, said: “Initially, two of our payload specialists will be flying on Virgin Galactic, conducting biomedical monitoring, atmospheric imaging, and microgravity planetary regolith experiments.”

So… kind of like an astronaut? God speed, scientists!

[via Space.com]

NASA wants hypersonic plane, puts aside $15 million

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If NASA gets its way, layovers will become a thing of the past. It has plans in the works to develop hypersonic jets that would surpass the speed of sound by a factor of five. What’s the implication? Well, you get on a plane in New York and get off in Sydney a mere two and a half hours later. That’s a cut from the current flight duration of 21 hours, according to The Daily Mail. In addition to shortening existing routes, NASA also wants to put faraway places into play … including Mars.

According to the NASA Aeronautics 2010 proposal, it’s putting aside $5million a year for the next three years to support the development of this reusable aircraft. The Daily Mail continues:

The proposal says: ‘The hypersonic heating environment, coupled with the emphasis on reusability, creates additional severe technology challenges for materials, material coatings, and structures that not only carry the aerodynamic loads of the air but also repeatedly sustain high thermal loads requiring long-life and durability while minimizing weight.

It looks like the future may be close. The X-51A Waverider scramjet hit Mach 6 this summer and flew on its own for 200 seconds. But, it had to get started by being dropped from a B-52 bomber. NASA’s plan is for something that can take off and land on its own.

[photo by Bluedharma via Flickr]

Space travel destination: Gliese 581g

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Okay, so the name isn’t as sexy as “St. Tropez” or “Bora Bora.” But, you have to admit that “Gliese 581g” does get your imagination going. Why is this such an inspiring destination? Well, it’s the first potentially habitable planet that’s been found! You’d actually have a shot at living there. So, as talk of space travel continues to gain momentum – regardless of how much it may remain in the realm of fantasy for now – it looks like we finally have a place to go.

Gliese 581g has everything you’d want in a space destination. According to The Awl, “it’s around three earths, it’s probably not made of gas, it could conceivably hold on to an atmosphere, and it’s at the right distance from its star, Gliese 581, to have liquid water on the surface.” Get ready for a bit of extreme heat, though: “half of it may or may not be always a 70°C degree daytime and the other half, a -35°C degree night.”

The temperatures may be a bit rough, but I’d still book a ticket for this trip.

[photo by BlatantWorld.com via Flickr]

FAA seeks standards for space travel

by Andrew Evans on

The Federal Aviation Authority announced its intention to set standards for commercial space travel with the recent creation of the Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation. Based at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, the new center will build a brand new bureaucracy around the barely-there industry of space travel, starting with safety measures for potential passengers and licensing requirements for commercial astronaut-pilots.

Physical training and medical checks will become likely pre-requisites for tourists before traveling into space. Also, that little safety video you all have memorized might last a few days longer than you’re used to, (though they’re likely to keep that one part about how “items may have shifted during flight”).

Currently, Virgin Galactic is the largest commercial space operator, selling tickets to “space” for $200,000 a pop. Unlike most airlines these days, that price includes your luggage.

(Photo: Hanna-Barbera)