Andrew Yee[_1_]
May 21st 08, 04:26 PM
ESA News
http://www.esa.int
21 May 2008
ESA and space tourism
The general public's interest in suborbital flying is now substantial. Such
flights could offer a realistic opportunity to 'touch' space by experiencing
weightlessness and seeing the curvature of the Earth's limb. Being so
closely related to ESA's 'core business', the Agency is observing these
developments with interest, and is now presenting its position on
privately-funded suborbital spaceflight.
On 7 November last year ESA's "Study of European privately-funded vehicles
for commercial human space flight" final presentation took place in ESTEC,
ESA's technical centre in The Netherlands. The study, which was conducted
within the Agency's General Studies Programme (GSP), was aimed at providing
ESA with a better understanding of this emerging industry, like several
other assessments carried out by the Agency over the last two years.
As a follow-up of this work, an internal working group was set up with the
goal of making recommendations based on previous studies; the outcome of
their work was endorsed by all ESA Directors on 14 April. Upcoming public
events -- such as IAA's "1st Symposium on private human access to space" on
the last week of May -- provide an excellent opportunity to present these
conclusions to a wider audience.
An opportunity for personal space
Many think that the progress of the Space Tourism industry could follow that
of twentieth century aviation. Suborbital flight vehicles, designed for use
over and over again, could gradually bring down the costs, as the technology
and the operational approach become more mature.
ESA recognises the private sector's efforts both in the achievement of
suborbital flights and in the associated technological development. The
Agency intends to show this recognition by helping provide the necessary
environment for this industry to flourish; for instance, by assisting in the
setting up of legal frameworks for operation across Europe, involving civil
aviation authorities and other relevant bodies in a debate on this matter.
Private developers of space tourism could also gain by collaborating with
ESA on areas of recognised ESA expertise, such as astronaut training and
space medicine, as part of their efforts to ensure thorough preparation
programmes for space tourists and safe flight experiences.
These areas of expertise can be offered on top of the vast wealth of already
developed and maturing technology, plus ideas that are still undergoing
investigation and experiment. In order to facilitate the free flow of ideas
among all interested European players, ESA intends to help establish a
platform for voluntary information exchange and interdisciplinary
discussion. Some pilot experiences and intense debates taking place in the
frame of the GSP study last year were already very positive and inspiring.
While ESA must be careful not to interfere in a fully competitive market its
experience, achievements to date, eye for opportunity and bold vision of
space utilisation should make a valuable contribution to this exciting new
phase of human endeavour.
ESA's position paper on privately-funded suborbital spaceflight can be
accessed at
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/gsp/Suborbital_Spaceflight_ESA_Position_Paper_14April0 8.pdf
For more information:
Andres Galvez
General Studies Programme manager
Tel: +33 1 5369 7623
Email: andres.galvez @ esa.int
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM49X0YUFF_index_1.html ]
http://www.esa.int
21 May 2008
ESA and space tourism
The general public's interest in suborbital flying is now substantial. Such
flights could offer a realistic opportunity to 'touch' space by experiencing
weightlessness and seeing the curvature of the Earth's limb. Being so
closely related to ESA's 'core business', the Agency is observing these
developments with interest, and is now presenting its position on
privately-funded suborbital spaceflight.
On 7 November last year ESA's "Study of European privately-funded vehicles
for commercial human space flight" final presentation took place in ESTEC,
ESA's technical centre in The Netherlands. The study, which was conducted
within the Agency's General Studies Programme (GSP), was aimed at providing
ESA with a better understanding of this emerging industry, like several
other assessments carried out by the Agency over the last two years.
As a follow-up of this work, an internal working group was set up with the
goal of making recommendations based on previous studies; the outcome of
their work was endorsed by all ESA Directors on 14 April. Upcoming public
events -- such as IAA's "1st Symposium on private human access to space" on
the last week of May -- provide an excellent opportunity to present these
conclusions to a wider audience.
An opportunity for personal space
Many think that the progress of the Space Tourism industry could follow that
of twentieth century aviation. Suborbital flight vehicles, designed for use
over and over again, could gradually bring down the costs, as the technology
and the operational approach become more mature.
ESA recognises the private sector's efforts both in the achievement of
suborbital flights and in the associated technological development. The
Agency intends to show this recognition by helping provide the necessary
environment for this industry to flourish; for instance, by assisting in the
setting up of legal frameworks for operation across Europe, involving civil
aviation authorities and other relevant bodies in a debate on this matter.
Private developers of space tourism could also gain by collaborating with
ESA on areas of recognised ESA expertise, such as astronaut training and
space medicine, as part of their efforts to ensure thorough preparation
programmes for space tourists and safe flight experiences.
These areas of expertise can be offered on top of the vast wealth of already
developed and maturing technology, plus ideas that are still undergoing
investigation and experiment. In order to facilitate the free flow of ideas
among all interested European players, ESA intends to help establish a
platform for voluntary information exchange and interdisciplinary
discussion. Some pilot experiences and intense debates taking place in the
frame of the GSP study last year were already very positive and inspiring.
While ESA must be careful not to interfere in a fully competitive market its
experience, achievements to date, eye for opportunity and bold vision of
space utilisation should make a valuable contribution to this exciting new
phase of human endeavour.
ESA's position paper on privately-funded suborbital spaceflight can be
accessed at
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/gsp/Suborbital_Spaceflight_ESA_Position_Paper_14April0 8.pdf
For more information:
Andres Galvez
General Studies Programme manager
Tel: +33 1 5369 7623
Email: andres.galvez @ esa.int
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM49X0YUFF_index_1.html ]