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If you read the mini article in the latest issue of The Genre Traveler, you’d know that Zorb is a plastic bubble you climb into and roll around in. How would you like to take that experience into space?

Well, Bigelow Aerospace, a Las Vegas, Nev., company is working on an inflatable space hotel and will be launching a test prototype today, if things go well.

"Everything is on track and scheduled for launch," Robert Bigelow, founder Bigelow Aerospace, told New Scientist in a prepared statement.

Originally set for June 16, the launch will take off from Russia's Dombarovsky missile base in Siberia. The test technology, called Genesis I, will be placed into an orbit 341.75 miles (550 km) above the Earth where it will inflate to its full size of 9.84 ft (3 m) by 7.87 ft (2.4 m).

“Why an inflatable space hotel? Wouldn’t that be a little dangerous?” you might ask. According to NewScientist.com, Genesis I’s walls are made of “a tough carbon-fiber material designed to withstand the impact of micrometeorites and space debris.” That’s comforting.

So where did the idea of a space hotel come from? The concept was developed from a discarded NASA idea for TransHab, an inflatable space station. I hope the idea was discarded for financial reasons and not safety! (Phew! Looks like it was.)

For this test launch, Genesis I has been equipped with 13 cameras to take photos and video of the spacecraft and of Earth, as well as personal items floating inside the inflated hotel.

Of course, a hotel that is barely bigger than a basketball player is not an ideal getaway. Not to mention, it might be a little disconcerting to see space so close to you. Genesis I is actually one-third the size of the proposed space hotel, which Bigelow hopes to have ready by 2012.

To help defray the cost of developing the space hotel, Bigelow Aerospace is offering people the chance to send up personal items, such as photos, on Genesis II for a few hundred dollars per item. Genesis II is scheduled to test later this year, if Genesis I is a success.

Of course, once the hotel is in place, people still need to get there and “the lack of a low-cost vehicle to ferry people to and from the hotel remains a big obstacle” wrote David Shiga of New Scientist. Therefore, “Bigelow has offered a $50 million prize for the first privately funded launch vehicle that could carry humans to a Bigelow space station.”

Bigelow Aerospace is the only company with plans to let individuals stay in orbit. Other space tourism companies are focusing on taking people to the edge of space for a short time and back again.

Source: NewScientist.com news service:
www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9533-model-of-inflatable-space-hotel-set-to-launch.html

Bigelow Aerospace: www.bigelowaerospace.com

UPDATE:
Looks like Genesis I made it into space. Read more at msnbc.msn.com/id/13828908.

Don’t have a few thousand dollars to pay for a suborbital flight? Then participate in eSpaceTickets’ Space Tourism tournament for your chance to go for free!

"It is better to have a chance, than NO chance at all,” said Tony Webb, founder of eSpaceTickets, at the International Space Development Conference in 2002. Now he’s put his money where his mouth is.

Currently, tickets are available only for those with deep pockets. Webb said he wants to make access to space travel uncomplicated. So he recently announced plans to give the winners of the eSpaceTickets tournaments free tickets to the edge of space and enter into the free drawings for commercial space flights.

"This international community solution involves the local media, community groups, clubs, schools, and business sponsors, all working together to make everybody involved a winner," Webb said.

Winners of the tournaments have a choice of a suborbital flight through Incredible Adventures using the Rocketplane XP, or an orbital expedition aboard the Neptune rocket launched by Interorbital Systems.

To qualify, you must be at least 14 years old and participate in a local tournament. Winning that tournament, you’ll move on to a regional competition. The champion wins the Grand Prize space flight of his or her choice: orbital or suborbital.

According to the official rules, “participating player groups will decide what type of "OPOLY" board game they will play. From that group game will emerge a winner, who will win the Space Tourism OPOLY game board and move into the next level of the tournament.”

"To reach for the stars, you can't sit on your hands," Webb said.

For more information, visit www.eSpaceTickets.com.

A few years ago, I lived in Tampa, Fla. One day, I was returning to my apartment after throwing out the trash when I heard a loud “Boom!” I looked up and in the distance I saw the thick, billowy trail of the space shuttle blasting into space. That was really cool.

At 3:48pm on Saturday, July 1, during the Independence Day weekend, the space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch, and it is expected to bring in the crowds. According to Florida Today, shuttle launches can draw 150,000 viewers. And, since this is the first shuttle flight in nearly a year, it could attract even more.

The catch is, this is already a heavy tourist weekend, especially with the launch coinciding with the Pepsi 400 NASCAR race in relatively nearby Daytona Beach.

"Our property is already sold out for the first week of July,” Rick Hutcherson, director of sales and marketing for Holiday Inn Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Resort told Florida Today, “and looking strong for the rest of the month." He added, "Any time we have a launch, we do well. But this launch will fall on our biggest holiday of the year."

Interestingly enough, shuttle launches draw an international crowd. "The shuttle launch brings international recognition to our area," Danielle Courtenay, vice president of public relations for the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau told Florida Today. Among international visitors, most are expected to hail from the United Kingdom.

"We just had a visit to the United Kingdom, and the people are very excited about the space program," Rob Varley, executive director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism told Florida Today.

However, as my anecdote above illustrates, you don’t have to go to the Space Coast to see at least part of a shuttle launch. If seeing the shuttle on the ground with the flames and steam billowing about it is not so important, and you just want to see the shuttle as it makes its way into orbit, you can catch some of that action from across the state.

For more information:
Florida Today: Launch adds to holiday tourism boom
Space.com: STS-121 Crew To Fly July 1
Orlando Sentinel: Shuttle Discovery to launch July 1

We're barely there and already a designer is planning for fashion forward space tourists! Last month marked the deadline for a unique fashion design competition: the Hyper Space Couture Design Contest.

Entrants designed "Microgravity Wear for the First Generation of Space Tourism." The designer behind this competition is Eri Matsui, a fashion designer from Japan and the creator of the first zero-gravity wedding dress.

Two categories were available for the contest. For the Designer Selection, designers were required to create a "design for a cool space flight suit which releases your stress for space travel and inspires your dream for space travel." The top 10 design sketches will be chosen from the submissions received by March 30, 2006. Those will then be made available to the public for final selection at a fashion show to be held in Tokyo and Paris in March 2007.

For the Dream Section, designs were open for broader participation and should reflect "a more free image design for space tourism wear." Also, public voting will include kindergarten, elementary, junior high, senior high and university students.

The competition is hosted by The Steering Committee for Space Couture Contest, The R&D Committee for Space Couture Contest and Rocketplane Ltd., in cooperation with Industrial Collaboration Department, JAXA.

The winners from the two categories "will be able to develop real space tourism wear, which will be used for space tourism flights in 2007," along Ms. Matsui, Dr. Yoshiko Taya, from Japan Women’s University, and Katsuyoshi Horie, creative designer of Angel Square." Other prizes planned include a ticket for space flight, space camp and more.

For more information, visit www.space-fashion.com (Japanese with English coming soon). See also "Design for the first astrobride."

Space Adventures Ltd, the company that took the world's first three space tourists to the International Space Station, is working with a consortium in Singapore on a $115 million base to launch rockets for suborbital flights.

"The commercial possibilities of space tourism are enormous," Nick Marrett, founder of Octtane and member of the consortium said. "We are tremendously excited about working with Singapore on this innovative project that will bring space tourism to the public."

Unlike the base in the UAE, Spaceport Singapore will not only offer suborbital spaceflights, but run astronaut training facilities and a public education and interactive visitor center. "This world-class center will provide a mix of commercial, educational and tourist attractions, giving everyone a reason to visit," Michael Lyon, managing director of the Spaceport Singapore project said.

Experiences available will include various aspects of astronaut training such as parabolic flights that allow passengers to experience weightlessness, G-force training in a centrifuge, and simulated space walks in a neutral buoyancy tank. Visitors will be able to fly in a variety of jet aircraft, ride flight simulators, enjoy interactive exhibit experiences, or simply learn about the history and technology of space travel.

"We identified Singapore as an ideal location for a spaceport as it has the right combination of foresight, entrepreneurialism and technological sophistication to support a project such as this," Lyon said.

"Singapore is one of the best-connected countries in the world," Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures said. "With its superior geographical and economic infrastructure, {Singapore} is primed to be the hub of a new, revolutionary form of travel -- in space."

Marrett added, "Singapore will continue its tradition of leading the world as a global transport hub for the 21st century with shipping, aviation and now, space travel."
 
The Singapore Tourism Board has been involved with this project for the past three years, facilitating technical discussions with other agencies required for this project and bridging negotiations over possible land sites.

"Space Adventures and the consortium have given Singapore a big vote of confidence as a choice tourism investment location," Lim Neo Chian, deputy chairman and chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board, said. "With the proposed Spaceport Singapore, we now stand at the threshold of an unprecedented opportunity to launch into space practically from our own backyard. In addition, the Spaceport's integrated training, educational and entertainment facilities will open up many exciting experiences for both locals and tourists."

According to Anderson, "Countries around the world are only just realizing the enormous commercial possibilities of space tourism. The market potential for suborbital spaceflights alone is estimated at $1 billion (USD) annually."

The consortium supporting Spaceport Singapore is a combination of commercial, research, entertainment and tourist interests. Joining with Space Adventures in this venture, are Octtane Pte, Batey Pte Ltd., Lyon Capital Inc., DP Architects, ST Medical, KPMG Corporate Finance, and Space Adventures' global spaceport development partner, His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates.

For more information on Spaceport Singapore, visit www.spaceportsingapore.com.

Further Reading

"Space Tourism," Blog Entry for October 2, 2005
thegenretraveler.braveblog.com/archive/10/02/2005

"Space Tourism -- That Much Closer," Blog Entry for Jan. 19, 2006
thegenretraveler.braveblog.com/archive/01/19/2006

"Another Spaceport Planned," Blog Entry for Feb. 18, 2006
thegenretraveler.braveblog.com/archive/02/18/2006

April 2006 Issue of The Genre Traveler
www.thegenretraveler.com/APR2006/TGTApril2006.htm