Are you a space enthusiast who dreams of taking a trip to travel beyond Earth? Well, in about seven years you can!
Space tourism by 2030
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman S Somnath said, “India’s own space tourism module that is both safe and reusable is currently being worked on.” Laying out a timeline of the space travel module, the ISRO chairman added that enthusiasts will be able to undertake a journey to space by 2030. The estimated cost of the journey is 6 crore rupees.
“The the ticket price is likely to be around 6 crore rupees. The people taking the trip will also be able to call themselves astronauts.” Somnath said.
Senior ISRO officials said work related to the government’s space tourism module was “gathering momentum”. They added that the tickets will be offered at “competitive prices” in the global market.
“The cost of a ticket is likely to be around Rs 6 crore. People undertaking the journey will also be able to call themselves astronauts,” Somnath said, according to Hindustan Times.
Senior ISRO officials said work related to the government’s space tourism module was “gathering momentum”. They added that the tickets will be offered at “competitive prices” in the global market.
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Orbital or sub-orbital space travel?
It has not been announced whether the module will involve suborbital space travel or orbital space travel; whatever Priced at Rs 6 Crores suggests that the module will likely involve suborbital space travel.
An article in the space exploration news website Space.com reportedly says that The main difference between suborbital and orbital space travel is the speed at which the vehicle travels. An orbital spacecraft must achieve what is known as orbital velocity, while a suborbital rocket flies at speeds below that.
Suborbital trips typically involve spending 15 minutes at the edge of space, experiencing a few minutes in a low-gravity environment before the spaceflight descends back to Earth.
Companies like Blue Origin have made suborbital flights with their reusable New Shepard rocket. Reusable rockets improve the economic viability of spaceflight because they are able to go into space more than once.
Earlier this year in February, according to a report by Moneycontrol, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh, said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha that ISRO has already started carrying prepared feasibility studies for India’s suborbital space tourism mission.
“Through Gaganyaan – India’s first human spaceflight program – Isro is engaged in the development of various technologieswhich are essential building blocks for human space missions,” Singh said.
ISRO is likely to partner with private firms
ISRO scientists told me that ISRO probably will partner with private companies for the development of the space travel module through the Indian National Space Promotion and Empowerment Center (IN-SPACe).
Commenting on the safety aspect of space travel, the ISRO chairman said that they are using the reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator (RLV-TD) to gain more knowledge about space flight safety.
“Together with the Gaganyan mission, we are also learning from our reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator (RLV-TD). As we bring space experiences to ordinary people, we need to ensure that these journeys are extremely safe and our technologies pass safety checks,” said Somnath.
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