A Mojave-based company announced plans March 26 for a new rocket that will offer Mach 2 thrill rides to the edge of space. Test flights of the two-seat rocket ship Lynx from Xcor Aerospace are scheduled for 2010, according to The Associated Press. The announcement came two months after British billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic unveiled a model of SpaceShipTwo, a six-passenger vehicle that may begin flight tests this year.
But just how safe will space tourism be?
According to the AP story, the Lynx will have a pressurized cabin, but the pilot and passenger will wear helmets and pressure suits for safety. Passengers will need some kind of medical clearance and perhaps a day’s training in such things as operating the suits and evacuating the rocket. The Lynx will have an escape capability but no ejection seats.
Before you book your flight, however, you might want to learn more about the safety -- or lack thereof -- of space tourism.
You can learn such things as how the Federal Aviation Administration will require space tourists to agree to act as "participants," not "passengers," during flights, “since the expectations of safety will be lower on a space tour.” Citizens must also agree not to sue the government if there's a fatal accident.
Oh, and there is this: During a panel discussion concerning safety regulations for space tourism, a lawyer advising the FAA said: "We're going to kill some people." You can also find related links on the site to such topics as How Space Tourism Works, How Space Planes Will Work, and How Rocket Engines Work.
Have a good flight.
